


The Wedding Date

by velvetsunrise



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, fake dating or is it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2020-12-28 06:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21131846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetsunrise/pseuds/velvetsunrise
Summary: As Andrés is marrying for the sixth time, Sergio and Raquel formulate a plan to keep his family's efforts to marry him off at bay.





	1. The Sixth

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome!
> 
> This AU has been in my mind for weeks so I had not choice but to write serquel in this classic fanfiction trope. In this AU, Berlin is very much alive and we don't just have one but two professors.
> 
> As I've said in the title, Berlin is about to tie the knot with a mystery woman... can you guess who it is? 🤔

_Six months ago._

“Have I told you that I met someone recently?” said Andrés towards the end of their phone call.

Sergio feels like he’s heard these words from his brother countless times and they mean one thing - and one thing only. There’s a new woman that caught his brother Andrés’s eye. Still, after his last divorce (his _fifth_), Sergio was curious about what his brother was about to say next as most of Andrés’s (ex-)lovers that he got to know ended up as his (ex-)sisters-in-law.

“She’s amazing.” Sergio can practically tell his brother was beaming on the other side of the call. “She owns an art gallery, Sergio. She’s brilliant. You’ll love her.”

Sergio rolled his eyes. “Andrés, _please._ Don’t tell me you’re planning to get married again?”

“I’m not talking about marriage. I’m simply telling you what an amazing woman has entered my life. You should just be happy for me!” Andrés laughed.

“I was happy for you for your last five marriages, don’t you remember?” Sergio joked. “It’s not about me spoiling your happiness, it’s me being worried about every poor woman you’ve ever dated!”

“Ah, Sergio… You don’t have anything to worry about.” Andrés smirked. “I don’t know how to say it but you’ll know it when you meet her. All I can say is that she keeps me on my toes. When I’m not too busy maybe the three of us can get dinner together.”

“If you like her that much then I guess I would love to meet her,” Sergio replied, but he was not so secretly hoping that whatever his brother had with this woman would have already passed before his brother would even consider the idea of going through marriage for the sixth time in his life.

“Well, leave it to me to arrange something then, but enough of my love life, I heard from Silene you’re traveling to New York next month to give a talk, is that right?”

_///_

_Present day_.

Sergio headed straight for his office right after his lecture ended. He had received his brother’s text right before he started with his lecture. He was disappointed himself for not being fully focused on teaching, but he knew his brother was the one to blame. While the lecture wasn’t his best, he could only be thankful that it was an introductory Economics course and his audience was composed of more than a hundred freshman and many were half-asleep.

Sergio pulled out his phone from his pocket the moment he was alone in his office and called Andrés.

“_Explain,_” said Sergio as soon as his brother answered the call.

“Good morning to you too, Sergio.”

“Andrés, this has got to be a joke.” Sergio plopped into the couch right next to his office door.

Andrés dared to laugh at the end of the line. “You won’t even congratulate me?”

“I’ve congratulated you the last five times you got married and I think that’s more than enough, don’t you think?” Sergio tried to stay as calm as he could fail.

“Sergio… Sergio… there’s nothing to be angry about.”

Sergio ran his hand down his face. He felt a headache starting to form at his temples.

“But Andrés… are you going to go through with this even another time after five failed marriages?!”

“I know I’ve failed five times, but I didn’t know you had so little faith in me, little brother,” Andrés replied, faking the disappointment in his voice. “And I am completely serious about going through this marriage. If I remember correctly, you’ll be receiving your invitation in a few days-”

“The invitations are already ready and I only found out you’re getting married today?!”

Andrés sighed. “And I apologize for that. I’ll explain it another time okay? But have to go now, they’re calling me back on site. Bye.”

And with that, Andrés ended the call, leaving Sergio to deal with his confusion from his brother’s most recent surprise all by himself.

After what felt like hours of staring blankly at the cream walls of his office while trying to ignore his pounding head, his phone vibrated in his hand. It was a text from Raquel.  
  
**_Are you still coming to lunch?  
  
_**He looked at the clock on his phone and cursed at himself. He was so distracted by his brother’s upcoming wedding that he almost forgot about having lunch with Raquel. They agreed to meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Café Hanoi for lunch at 1:30 this semester and it was almost 2:00.

**_Yes. Sorry for being late.  
  
_**He grabbed his portfolio bag from where he had haphazardly deposited it on the floor by the couch. His phone vibrated again.  
  
**_It’s okay. Had to answer some questions from my students after class. I was also late.  
  
_**He got into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. _Did you already order your food? You can start without me.  
  
_** _Just did. Already ordered your usual too. Walk fast so the food won’t be cold when u arrive.  
  
_**He was unaware of the fact that he was smiling at his screen.  
  
** _Thank you. See you soon._ **

_///_

Raquel was in the middle of grading one of her student’s exams when Sergio arrived at Café Hanoi. She immediately noticed that something was bothering him. She returned the papers she was grading to her bag as he sat down on the booth seat in front of her.

“Are you okay?” she asked, worried.

Sergio shook his head. “I have a bit of a headache, but I’ll be fine.”

“And?”

Sergio raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“There’s something else you’re not telling me,” said Raquel.

Sergio sighed, and after a moment, he answered. “Andrés is getting married. _Again._”

“Really?” Raquel couldn’t help but be surprised. “Didn’t you say he was done for after his last divorce?”

“I thought so, Raquel. I told you his last divorce was… messy and it really did feel as if he already learned his lesson, but here we are again.”

Before Raquel could say anything, the waiter arrived at the table with their meal. He placed the ham sandwich in front of Sergio, the plate of pasta with red sauce in front of Raquel, and two glasses of water for the two of then on their table.

Raquel has only met Sergio’s older brother once when Andrés dropped by Sergio’s office unexpectedly one evening last semester when she and Sergio were checking exams together. Before that encounter, she only three things about the man:

  1. He was four years older than Sergio
  2. He was probably one of Spain’s best architects at the moment
  3. and that he has a long history of failed marriages.

Knowing these things about Andrés did form an interesting profile of the man in Raquel’s mind, and somehow, with her background in psychology, she still felt nothing could have prepared her for the man in the long black trench coat that she met at Sergio’s office that night.

Sergio and Raquel ate in silence for a while, simply minding each other’s company.

“You know,” Raquel said, as she put down her drink. “Maybe Andrés marrying again after his last divorce is a good thing. Maybe he finally found someone he’ll settle down with.” Of course, Raquel was just trying to make Sergio feel a little bit better, this wasn’t her professional opinion. At all.

Sergio wiped his mouth with a napkin. “That’s what I thought when he married Tatiana, Raquel. He ended up with four more failed marriages after they broke up.”

Raquel could only guess that Tatiana was ex-wife #1.

“Have you met her? I mean your sister-in-law-to-be?” Raquel found it interesting that somewhere out there was a woman who’s willing to marry a man of Sergio’s brother’s _profile._

“The three of us had dinner once, and _my god,_ Raquel. She’s… amazing.” Sergio scratched the back of his neck. “_…To say at least._”

Raquel felt the blood rush to her face.

“She’s quite beautiful so I understand my brother’s attraction to her. She also has the same expensive taste as him. And I know she’s intelligent too and that’s the part that I don’t understand. I don’t know why she would even agree to marry Andrés at all.”

“Maybe she likes the challenge,” said Raquel, while playing with what remains of her meal on her plate with her fork.

Sergio finished the rest of his sandwich. “She doesn’t seem like that person at all.”

_“And what kind of person do you think she’s like?”_ Raquel thought to herself.

Raquel looked up from her plate.

“Do you think she’s pregnant?”

“What?!” Sergio looked at her with wide eyes.

“Do you think she’s pregnant?” she repeated. “Maybe they’re expecting so I guess it made sense for them to get married, don’t you think?”

Sergio shook his head. “Andrés… He doesn’t want kids.” The look on his face told Raquel that his brother was the type of man to break off a relationship rather than marry for the sake of a child.

Sergio took a deep breath then said, “No matter how I try to make sense of my brother’s engagement, it won’t change the fact that the wedding is going to happen in a month or so.”

“Wow. From what we were just talking about I thought they just got engaged.”

“I thought so too when Andrés texted me today that he’s getting married again then he says that I’ll be getting my invitation in a few days when I called him.” Sergio frowned. “This is the first time my brother hid something this big to me, Raquel.”

Without hesitation, Raquel placed her hand on top of Sergio’s on top of the table, giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Hey,” Raquel looked directly into Sergio’s eyes. “Whatever reason he might have for not telling, I’m sure that he didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

A small smile appeared on Sergio’s face. “Maybe you’re right. I am still annoyed at him because our aunts will be hounding me again for not bringing someone along.”


	2. The Set-up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Sergio quickly dismissed the idea of inviting Raquel to the wedding as his date, a rather careless mistake on his part forces him into a difficult situation.

The walk back to the university was filled with small talk around how their week has been so far. Raquel recounted that earlier in the week, she had to pause one of her small classes because one of the students started to sleep talk. While the story both made them laugh, they too understood the stress that the students must be feeling at the present point of the term. With only a month left until the summer break, professors like Raquel and Sergio also had their share of the stress since they were also busy finalizing their last few lectures and grading what remains of months' worth of papers and examinations.

Even if they both didn't mention it, both Raquel and Sergio were even more thankful for their current arrangement, where they were able to talk over lunch at least twice a week because of the stressful times. Lunch on Tuesdays and Thursday was a refuge for both of them -they were able to set aside the stresses that came with working in academia even if it was only for two hours, at most. _And to think none of this would've been possible if not for Raquel's phone running out of battery in the very same café they were just in on her first day at work at the university..._

Whether he would admit it to himself or not, Andrés's upcoming marriage became the least of his concerns as he continued to listen to Raquel's stories with undivided attention. For a moment, the idea of inviting her to his brother's wedding as his date came to his mind but he quickly dismissed the thought.

///

Raquel has been friends with Alicia Sierra since their university days in Barcelona, and Alicia was also the one who invited Raquel to teach at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid when a position in the Psychology Department opened up towards the end of her two-year teaching stint in Lisbon. Ever since Raquel accepted the position three terms ago, her college friend not only became her co-faculty but also her office-mate.

When Raquel returned from her lunch with Sergio, Alicia was already at her desk, typing away on her laptop. Her afternoon class must've ended early that day since Raquel usually came back to an empty office on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

"How was lunch with the Hot Nerd from the Economics Department?" Alicia smirked as Raquel entered the room. Raquel resisted the urge to roll her eyes - it felt like tormenting her students wasn't enough to entertain Alicia for the day.

"Lunch with Sergio was fine if that's what you're asking," replied Raquel as she retrieved the papers she began grading before lunch and a pen from her bag before sitting down on her desk.

"Your class ended early today?" she asked, intending to stop her friend from making any further remarks towards Sergio.

"I dismissed the class early. I think it was only right after I gave them a surprise quiz today."

For a few moments, Raquel was able to read the words on her student's essay to the sound of Alicia's typing in peace.

"Mario told me you've stopped answering his texts." It was Alicia who broke the relative silence of the room.

Raquel froze. Mario Suárez, or simply Suárez, was Alicia's friend and a professor at the School of Law. Alicia introduced the two to each when the two women had a night out and Mario happened to be at the same bar. Suárez asked for Raquel's phone number before she left and she had accepted. The two talked, mostly through text, and went out to dinner thrice. While the man ticked all the right boxes (_Raquel had to admit that he was an attractive man with a great body and an equally impressive reputation as a lawyer_), she didn't see their relationship progressing any further.

"You know that I didn't mean to set the two of you up that night at the bar, but I was glad that you took the chance," said Alicia. "So what happened? Suárez may not have the best sense of humor but he's not too bad."

Raquel put down her pen. "I told him that it would be better if we end things as they were because I'm not ready to take things further with him."

Alicia cackled and then shook her head. "No wonder the man's all gloomy when I mentioned you the other day. You broke him." While Alicia meant the last part to be a joke, Raquel couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"Part of me thinks that you should've gotten to know him better, but I know he doesn't stand a chance."

Raquel raised an eyebrow, surprised by Alicia's lack of confidence for her friend. "And why is that?"

Alicia closed her laptop and turned her office chair in Raquel's direction.

"Raquel, you don't need a master's degree to understand that there's no room for Suárez in your life because Sergio's already in it."

The room came to a pause again as Alicia tidied her desk. There's a part of Raquel that wanted to reason with Alicia, _to tell her that she's wrong_, but her mouth has gone dry and her mind went blank.

Alicia then stood up, picked up her purse and her laptop, and walked towards their office door.

"I'm picking up some books at the library then I'm heading home. Don't forget about our movie date tomorrow."

With the sound of the door closing behind Alicia, Raquel released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She looked down at the essay she was grading moments ago. She'd held on to the pages too tightly that the area around her fingers started to crease. Leaning back to her chair, she willed herself to push Alicia's words out of her head and to focus her attention back to words right in front of her with moderate success.

///

When Sergio arrived home that night, he found Andrés leaning against the wall next to the door of his apartment with a brown paper bag on one hand and a bottle of red wine in another.

"How long have you been waiting here?" Sergio asked.

"Maybe 30 minutes or so. I thought you were already home."

"Sorry," said Sergio as he unlocked his apartment door. "I would've come home earlier if you called."

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I did."

Sergio wanted to comment that he's had enough share of his brother's surprises after his recent announcement but decided to keep the thought to himself.

The pair headed straight for Sergio's kitchen. Andrés deposited the paper bag and the wine on the kitchen island.

"I'm hoping you didn't have dinner yet?" asked Andrés.

"I haven't eaten anything since lunch."

"Good. Now pour us some wine while I make the two of us dinner."

Dinner was exquisite, as Sergio expected since cooking was one of his brother's many skills. He's extremely thankful for having Spaghetti Bolognese and wine rather than reheating whatever left-over he had stocked in the refrigerator from days before, but their conversation during dinner was all about work and not a single mention of the wedding.

From the dining area, the two moved to the living room with what remained of the red wine.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the engagement earlier." It was Andrés who spoke first, while he poured more wine in Sergio's glass. Sergio tried his best to not show any sign that he's taken aback - he's known Andrés all his life and his brother was never fond of apologies.

"I know you had your reason for not telling me," Sergio echoed Rachel's words from yesterday. "I am a little hurt that I found out that my only brother is getting married in a few weeks through the phone but _I'll be fine_." He added in a playful tone. He is feeling a lot better after having talked to Raquel and having the day to think about the situation.

Andrés downed the rest of his wine in one sip and placed his empty glass on the coffee table.

"I think it was almost two months ago when she told me that she needed stability in her life and that if I couldn't give it to her, then it's best for us to break up," Andrés started to explain.

"Sergio," a dry chuckle escaped his brother's lips. "I know that it's been less than a year since we've met but I just can't imagine her not being in my life."

Andrés covered his face with one hand and laughed. "Ah, I'm sorry. I sound like an absolute fool."

Sergio patted his brother on the shoulder. It's surreal to him that Andrés could even act this way.

Andrés cleared his throat and continued. "I wanted to show her that I'm not going anywhere so I asked her to marry me. It took me the whole night to convince her but she agreed." The smile on his lips was _infectious_.

"I haven't been a good enough husband for any of my ex-wives, but for her, I want to be the best that I can be." The determination in his brother's voice made Sergio want to believe that his brother has changed indeed.

The two continued to talk for what felt like hours until Andrés announced that it was time for him to leave.

"You sure you don't want to sleep in the guest room tonight?" Sergio offered since the two of them had almost emptied an entire bottle of red wine.

"As much as I want to, I need to be at the firm early tomorrow." Sergio accompanied Andrés to the door.

"I had a great night, Sergio." Andrés pulled his brother into a hug. "Let's spend more time together before I leave the life of a bachelor behind." Sergio nodded, with a smile on his face.

The two bid farewell to each other and Sergio watched as the Andrés's taxi drove off into the night to take him off.

Just as the taxi was out of sight, Sergio's phone vibrated in his pocket. It was Andrés.

** _Do you already have a date for the wedding?_ **

///

On the other side of the city, Raquel and Alicia exited the cinema side by side. Compared to the other moviegoers who were in a rush to get to their cars or to call for a taxi, the two were a bit more relaxed. It's been a tiring day for both of them - Alicia had five hours worth of lectures today and while Raquel only had two classes both scheduled in the morning, she'd spent the whole afternoon reading and grading her students' research paper from her sophomore class on non-verbal communication.

The fact that the two weren't in a rush to get home could also be related to how both didn't have husbands and children to come home to, leaving more time to spend Friday night with friends. While Raquel was back to living with her mother ever since she'd returned from Portugal, she did inform the older woman that she'll be out late tonight.

The two watched a comedy film and even if it won't win any awards anytime soon, both Alicia and Raquel did both get a good laugh out of it.

"I realized that I was a little insensitive about what I said about you and Sergio yesterday," Alicia interjected, as the two were discussing their favorite parts of the movie on their way to the parking lot.

"I'm such a shit friend for not thinking about the divorce," she continued.

Raquel shook her head. "My previous marriage and my son-of-a-bitch of an ex-husband have no power over my life anymore, Alicia."

They both knew that almost four years ago that it wasn't the case when Raquel found out that her then-husband Alberto has been cheating on her with her sister after almost two years since they got married. It certainly wasn't the case when she left her life behind, including a job that she's loved for years as a clinical psychologist in private practice in Barcelona, to teach in a university in Lisbon.

It did start being true when she started falling in love with her new career, even if she only accepted the job to give her another reason to run away to another country at first, and maybe to make use of her Ph.D. By the time her contract ended, Raquel has seen most of the sights Portugal has to offer and has built herself a respectable reputation as a professor, she was sure that whatever emotional wounds Alberto had left behind were starting to heal.

"What's stopping you then?" Alicia turned to her friend.

Raquel shrugged. "I don't know."

If Alicia's years of experience in psychology gave her any clues on what might beholding Raquel back, it was her decision as Raquel's friend to keep it to herself.

///

Whatever peace of mind Sergio gained during his brother's visit from the previous night when he woke up late on Saturday morning to his brother's text.

** _Aunt Luisa told me that she wants to introduce you to her husband's niece. She said she's a doctor from the US who's coming back to Spain. What should I say to her?_ **

Sergio gently tossed his phone onto the bed after reading his brother's text. All he wanted was to relax during the weekend, but this wish of his looks impossible now that his relatives have already started with their usual matchmaking inspired by his brother's nuptials and he hasn't even received his invite yet.

His phone vibrated on the bed again.

_ **Looks like Monica also has someone she wants to introduce to you too.** _

The rest of the family must have been receiving their invitations to the wedding and along with whatever response they may have to the news, they also appeared to be reminded of the fact that Sergio is still, in fact, _a bachelor_.

With the lack of a better reply, he tossed his phone onto the bed again and left his bedroom to take a shower and start with the rest of his day.

When noon came around, Sergio has abandoned his plans for a relaxing weekend by himself and worked on the final exam he's been preparing for one of his introductory classes. He's spent most of the day in his home office, going back and forth between the lectures he's presented in class, the countless reference books he had on his desk, and writing the actual questions on his laptop.

He's always treated test-making like a craft - as a student, he greatly respected his teachers for creating exams that truly tested the ends of his knowledge and when he became a part of academia, he wasn't ashamed to admit that when he became a professor it was one of the things he was most excited about.

For years, he's spent hours on end writing and revising his exam questions, going over each question (and every single choice if it's a multiple-choice test) at least three times, since as much as he enjoyed making exams that challenged his students, the activity is very influenced by his perfectionism, much like everything else in his life.

Sergio ended up working on the exam for the rest of the weekend, only allowing himself to go to the gym and the supermarket to pick up a few supplies on Sunday. As much as he wanted to finish the exam as early as he could, Sergio admitted that it was a welcome from thinking about his family's awakened eagerness to marry him off.

///

When Raquel arrived at Cafe Hanoi for Tuesday's lunch, Sergio was already sitting at their usual table, looking a little worse for wear. The dark circles under his eyes suggested he hasn't had the chance to sleep which bothered Raquel because the week has just begun and Raquel also noticed that he did look pale...

When Raquel reached the table, Sergio was still looking out of the window, lost in thought.

"Sergio?" Raquel called out to him as she slid into the seat in front of Sergio and deposited her bag right next to her.

She didn't expect Sergio to almost seem frightened when he laid his eyes on her.

"Is everything ok?"

Sergio took a deep breath and looked away.

"You're making me worried," said Raquel, her forehead creased.

Sergio took another deep breath and shut his eyes.

"_Raquel_..." he began. "I don't know how to say this..."

"Say _what_?"

Sergio's eyes finally met hers and Raquel was confused by the look of nervousness and what seemed to be guilt written across his features.

"I- I've made a _terrible_ mistake."

When Raquel tried to get more information about Sergio's current dilemma, he dismissed her attempts and told her that it will be best for them to order their food first before he told her the whole story. She reluctantly agreed, but it hadn't stopped her from throwing curious glances at his way when he avoided her gaze the entire time that they waited for their food to be served.

They made it halfway through the meal and Sergio still hasn't said a single word. While she was hungry on her way to Hanoi, Sergio's unusual behavior has made Raquel lose her appetite.

Just as Raquel pushed her half-eaten salad away from her to ask him about what's bothering him again, Sergio pulled out a royal blue envelope from his bag and placed it in the space between the two of them on the table.

"What is it?" Raquel's worries were temporarily replaced by curiosity. She couldn't help but to carefully trace the 'A & A' printed in an ornate type using what looked like ink made of gold with her fingers.

"It's the invitation to Andres's wedding. It arrived at my office this morning." The meal, which was his first for the day, helped ease the nervousness Sergio felt moments ago.

"And what about it is bothering you?"

Sergio swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Remember what I said last week about my relatives using Andrés's past weddings to set me up with someone?"

Raquel nodded slowly, waiting for Sergio to continue.

"Well, I- my cousin-" she watched as Sergio adjusted his eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose. "Well, my cousin called this morning, asking me if I wanted to meet her friend from work, who's an accountant. She said that I should take her friend to dinner sometime and that if the two of us got along that I should bring her to the wedding as _my date._"

Sergio averted his gaze from Raquel again and mentally prepared himself for what Raquel's reaction might be for what he's about to say next.

"I love my cousin but it's always like this, Raquel..." His frustration is starting to show in his voice. "I thought that maybe since it's been this way ever since my brother's first marriage, that I won't be bothered by their attempts anymore or they would just stop trying... _eventually_."

Sergio took a brief pause and Raquel resisted the urge to hold his hand on the table to give it a reassuring squeeze just as she did the week before.

"And so it happened that when Mónica called a while ago... I think that the stress of the past few days and my frustration with my family just got to me... I told her that there won't be a need to find me a date, or_ a partner_ for that matter."

Raquel's breath got caught in her throat.

While Raquel's mind was racing due because of the implications of Sergio's words, Sergio took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before he spoke again.

"Raquel, I would like to ask you a big favor... Would you please come with me to my brother's wedding?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I admit that I really planned on posting an update last week but it really took me a long time to finish this one and I tried to finalize where the rest of the story is going towards before finally posting. Now that I like it enough to post it and that I've come up with points in the story that I would like to write... here's an update :D
> 
> One thing that recently came to my attention is my choice of Andres/Berlin's fiancee in the story and I just realized that this person and Berlin is not actually the most... conventional choice of a pairing but I didn't consider this at first because I just thought that maybe they'll be fun to write hahaha Hopefully, people wouldn't be too bothered when the time her identity is revealed (though I did drop a major hint in this chapter so can anybody guess who it is?) That's it for this chapter and see you for the next one which hopefully would very soon :D


	3. The Plan, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raquel and Sergio come to an agreement. Andrés makes an assumption and somehow ends up hitting the bullseye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go w/ Chapter 3! Andrés's bride-to-be is revealed in this chapter, but the real fun starts when she makes an appearance in the next chapter (or two?). 
> 
> I would also like to say thanks to everyone who's read this fic so far 🥰 I love reading everyone's comments + responding to them so I hope you guys keep them coming 🥰

Raquel stared at Sergio in confusion. How could he ask her a favor like then when he just told her that he already has someone else?

“I know that it’s a very serious favor to ask of you–”

“Wait,” Raquel interrupted, “You just told me that you told your cousin that you’re dating. Why don’t you just ask–”

Sergio leaned back into his seat. "Raquel… There is no one to ask."

“So you’re saying that you _lied_?” Raquel raised an eyebrow and Sergio squirmed in his seat.

“I thought that it was the best thing to do, at the time.”

There’s a moment of silence as Raquel pieced together what Sergio was asking of her.

“I’m not sure if I understood correctly,” Raquel began after the pause, “but are you asking me to come to Andrés’s wedding like _we’re together_?”

“Well, I- uh… I didn’t think about it that far. I just thought if I told Mónica that I already have someone in my life and show up with a date at the wedding then maybe my family will quiet down… for a while at least.”

Silence blanketed the table again. Raquel’s eyes were on her unfinished plate in front of her and Sergio was back to watching strangers pass by the café through the window again.

Pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, he thought of how his mistake from earlier this morning has led him to make a bigger one.

He cursed at himself internally. It didn’t sit well with him that for the last few days he’s not his usual well-composed and rational self. While it all started with a text from Andrés, his initial worries are almost non-existent after they’ve gotten the chance to talk after Andrés cooked him dinner. Somehow, Andrés’s upcoming marriage sprung another a new set of problems for Sergio which spiraled to him lying to his cousin about having someone in his life just to dodge her efforts to set him up.

What exactly was he trying to achieve by inviting Raquel to the wedding? Did he think that coming to the event with a woman by his side will shut down his family’s attempts after years of trying to marry him off just like Andrés?

He turned to his attention back to Raquel. “I’m sorry.”

Raquel snapped out her thoughts and their eyes meet.

“I’m sorry because I’m not my usual self lately and I even asked you for an impossible favor.” Sergio adjusted his eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose again with a push of his thumb. “I’m sorry, Raquel. Can we just forget about what I said earlier?”

Raquel laughed softly and Sergio felt his anxiety slowly fade.

“You said sorry _three times_,” said Raquel and Sergio felt a slight warmth rise to his face.

“Well,” Sergio scratched the back of his neck, “I really am sorry.”

Raquel nodded with a small smile on her lips. Her eyes went to the blue envelope in front of them.

“Do you mind if I take a look?”

“Uh, sure go ahead.”

Raquel took the envelope with both hands and pulled out the light cream-colored cardstock decorated with ornate flowers in the same gold as the initials of the bride and groom on the envelope. Sergio watched Raquel’s eyes travel across the words on the invitation.

Raquel read: “Save the date for the wedding of Ágata Jiménez and Andrés de Fonollosa. Saturday. June 29th.”

Raquel pointed at the address of the venue on the card. “Are they getting a rental house?”

“No, it’s our house in Toledo. I can’t say that I’m not surprised that my brother didn’t pick a hotel as he always did.”

Sergio remembered Andrés’s wedding to Adriana, his last ex-wife. Andrés has the money to splurge on a wedding and he sure did. While his marriage to Adriana ultimately ended just like his previous ones, the image of the hotel ballroom that they had for the venue decorated with white roses and light gold decor is still clear in Sergio’s mind.

Raquel read the invitation once more before putting it down.

“I know that you won’t be asking for a favor like that if what your family’s trying to do isn’t bothering you.”

Sergio grimaced. “I learned to live with it. And please Raquel let’s just forget that I even asked that from you.”

“Do you plan on going to the wedding on your own?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you worried that your cousin won’t ask about your lack of a date? Or your aunts hounding you about getting married yourself?” Raquel recalled what Sergio has said to her about his aunts and Andrés’s weddings.

“I’ll just tell Mónica that my date had to cancel because of work or that we just stopped seeing each other if she asked. And for my aunts… well, Andrés does pick really good wine for his weddings and that helps a lot.”

The two of them shared a laugh before Raquel’s expression turned serious again.

“So the wedding just a week after the semester ends, I could go with you since I didn’t sign up to teach a class during the summer.”

“_What?_”

Raquel pointed at the invitation. “I won’t be teaching during the summer semester but it won’t matter since the wedding is on a Saturday.”

“Look, let’s forget about this, okay? I already told you that it’s too big of a favor to ask of you,” Sergio pleaded.

“No favor is big enough for a friend. And besides, it’s only for a day and if Andrés’s weddings are as grand as you tell them to be, then the food and the alcohol would at least be decent, right?”

“Raquel–”

“Let me help you, Sergio.” Her firm tone stirred a feeling in his chest that Sergio can’t quite place. “I’ll dress up nice and we’ll talk to your family for a bit and maybe we’ll dance at the reception. That wouldn’t be too hard, right?”

“But you don’t have to _that_. I could just go alone and suffer through my family’s questions about how I’m not yet married.”

“You already know that you won’t suffer through that if you bring a date,” Raquel pointed out, “And Sergio, you don’t have to be miserable at the wedding just because you can.”

Her words struck a chord in Sergio that whatever reply he had in mind was now gone. While Raquel’s determination in everything she does is one of the many qualities that he admires about her, he’s never imagined that he’ll ever be at the wrong end of the stick as he was currently. Of course, it's his fault: He was the one who came up with the idea and now he can’t get Raquel to back down on her current pursuit of saving him from the misery of being a dateless bachelor nearing forty attending his older brother’s 6th wedding.

“I know that you’re looking out for me, but Raquel it’s is just too much to ask of you.”

“Look, if putting on a dress and mingling with your relatives would make your life easier just for a day, then I’ll be fine.” Raquel shrugged.

Sergio sunk back into his seat with a sigh. “Fine, but at least let me pay for your dress or your shoes if you’re going to buy a pair.”

///

** _Why didn’t you tell us that Sergio has a girlfriend?_ **

Andrés red Mónica’s text twice before putting his phone away just as his meeting with one of the firm’s clients began. While he truly treasured the client’s partnership with the firm, his mind drifted to what the text has said from time to time. His only consolation was after the meeting which was scheduled to last an hour, he’s free for the whole day. His plan earlier was to head out right after the meeting is done to surprise Ágata with lunch. However, due to recent events, he’s decided to make a quick phone call first.

Andrés found it particularly amusing that he’d done a favor of cooking Sergio dinner just a few days before but he didn’t even mention that he’s dating, but he also quickly realized that he’s much more guilty of not keeping his brother informed of certain changes in his life.

As soon as the clients left the conference room, he quickly returned to his office. On the walk back, he considered calling Sergio himself but since he’s unsure if he has a class at the time, he decided that it was a better idea to call Mónica instead.

Sitting on his office chair, Andrés waited for Mónica to pick up her phone.

“Hello, Andrés.”

“Hi, Món. How’s our little Cinci today?”

“He’s behaving like an angel today unlike yesterday when his teeth were bothering him.” Mónica replied.

Andrés made a mental note to ask Ágata about those little things that parents give to toddlers when they’re teething so they can bring one along when they return to Toledo.

“Did you see my text earlier? I called Sergio today since I wanted to introduce him to a friend but he already told me he’s already seeing someone.”

“I also texted him during the weekend to tell him that Auntie Luisa also wanted to introduce him to someone but he didn’t say anything.”

“_Are you telling me you didn’t know too?_”

“I only found out because of you. To think that I was even at his apartment last week to cook him dinner… Do you think this is payback for not telling him about my engagement sooner?”

Mónica chuckled. “We both know that Sergio loves you too much to do that. Besides, you might be the older brother but you’re the one giving Sergio a headache all the time.”

“That’s true,” Andrés replied with a smile, “Good-bye Món. I’ll call Sergio maybe tonight and I’ll tell you about what I find out as soon as I can. Kiss Cinci for me.”

“Bye Andrés. See you soon.”

Later, when he was about to get in his car, he remembered one particular evening which made him suspect that the identity of the woman Mónica was talking about might not be a mystery after all.

///

The walk back to the university is much more quiet than usual. Sergio was still distracted by his current situation with Raquel, or more specifically, their current agreement concerning Raquel showing up at the wedding as his date.

The entirety of the agreement is making him nervous (_Will the family catch them in the lie?_) but more importantly, how on Earth would he act around would he around Raquel at the wedding and the dinner afterward when they’re supposed to be posing as a couple?

His train of thoughts is interrupted by the sound of his cellphone ringing. Sergio pulled the device out of the pocket of his slacks and immediately saw his brother’s name on the caller ID.

“Is it all right if we stop for a second? I’ll just answer this call,” said Sergio. Raquel agreed and the two stood under the shade of a tree by the sidewalk.

“A little bird told me that you’re dating again. Any reason why you didn’t bother to tell me about it when I was at your apartment last week?” Andrés skipped over any greeting whatsoever. Sergio felt his heart start hammering in his chest.

From what he and Raquel agreed upon from their discussion over lunch, he realized that there’s only one way to approach the topic.

“Hello? Are you still there?”

“We had a more important topic to discuss. You got engaged and I just found out.” Sergio was completely aware that he was trying to dodge the topic but he wasn’t ready to lie to Andrés just yet.

“Sergio, I know it’s big news but did you think that we can’t spare a minute or two so you could tell me that you have someone in your life, especially if it’s been a long time?”

“Hey, you waited for almost two months to tell me you’re getting married through text. _I think you don’t get to complain._”

When Andrés didn’t reply immediately, he knew that he’s _won_.

“Sorry. Maybe I’m just little offended that I only found out through Món.”

“Where are you?” Sergio inquired.

“Outside Ágata’s gallery. We’re going out for lunch. How about you?”

“I just finished mine. I was on my way back to the office.”

“Is Raquel there with you?”

Sergio spared a glance at Raquel who was watching him intently.

“Uh… yes.”

“Ah, I knew it. Let’s have dinner on Friday night. All four of us. I won’t take no for an answer.”

“But Andrés–” Before Sergio could even get a chance to express any form of disagreement, Andrés already hung up. Sergio pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes.

“_How did Andrés already make the connection between Raquel and the woman he lied about to Mónica?_” Sergio thought to himself.

He’s only halfway through the day yet he’s sure that it’s one of the most stress-inducing days of his life.

“I’m guessing by the look on your face that it was your brother who called?” Raquel asked and Sergio nodded, with his eyes still shut.

It took him a few seconds to compose himself. Turning to Raquel, Sergio said: “Raquel, we might have a big problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With that the plan is born~ I apologize for making Sergio suffer this much. It's only been three chapters... 🤣
> 
> Anyways, it's been a pleasure writing Sergio's reaction to all these unexpected things happening in his life where he doesn't get to spend twenty years to come up a plan. I'm also excited to write more of Raquel in the next chapters, especially the next one HMMM
> 
> Next chapter will serve as an interlude of some sorts... Here's little sneak peek into the chapter title and summary (still might change but only a bit):
> 
> THE FIRST: Raquel and Andrés meet for the very first time and Sergio could only hope for the best.
> 
> See you all soon!


	4. The Overture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergio and Raquel individually deal with the implications of their agreement. Sergio looks back to the time Raquel and Andrés first met and curses at his brother's intuition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a change of heart, here's the latest chapter. Apologies for the delay. This chapter was 95% done for such a long time, I just couldn't bring myself to finish it 😂
> 
> You've been warned: this chapter contains a large dose of Sergio and Raquel being absolute idiots in love, and a very little taste of some interaction between Raquel and Andres, with more to come in the next chapters. I hope you guys enjoy!

“I’m guessing by the look on your face that it was your brother who called?” Raquel asked and Sergio nodded, with his eyes still shut.

It took him a few seconds to compose himself. Turning to Raquel, Sergio said, “Raquel, we might have a big problem.”

“What did your brother say?”

“He said he wanted all four of us to have dinner on Friday night. I’m assuming he’s coming with Ágata.”

Raquel frowned. “Why am I invited?”

“It looks like he found out from Mónica that I’m seeing someone and… he assumed that it was you before I could explain,” Sergio’s shoulders visibly sagged. “You don’t have to go. I’ll tell Andrés you can’t make it.”

Raquel checked the time on her watch before replying, “Is it okay if we talk about this later? I still have to go to the office before I head to my next class.”

Sergio nodded in approval and the two walked in silence for the rest of the trip back

///

Raquel leaned against the door of her office right after closing it. It was safe to say that she was just beginning to realize the gravity of what she’d done over lunch.

“_Really, Raquel?_” she told herself, “_What were you thinking?_”

She wanted to believe that the answer was simple: her sense of duty compelled her to help a friend who came to her with a problem. However, the friend in question was Sergio, and she might be afraid to admit it, she’s started to feel more than just friendship for him for a while now.

Her eyes wandered to Alicia’s empty desk. She has never been so thankful that she was alone in the office as she is now. Alone with her thoughts, she could finally admit that when she first started to realize that she wanted more with Sergio, who has treated her with nothing more than kindness and respect, her first instinct was to bury her feelings because Sergio was a friend. One of her closest, if not her closest friend ever since she came back from Portugal. She’d rather not waste the precious connection they’ve built ever since they met on her first day at the university over just because she unintentionally fell for him. When Suárez came around, she willing to look for something more than a distraction but even if she did _try_, she was back to where she was, stuck with unchanged feelings for a friend.

She sat on her chair and ran a hand through her hair. She had more things to worry about now other than her feelings. Not an hour has passed since she and Sergio agreed that she’ll go with him to Andrés’s wedding to keep up with the lie he made to his cousin and to keep the rest of his family from trying to marry him off.

Despite her initial hesitation and Sergio’s retraction of the request he made on a whim, she meant it when she said to Sergio that he didn’t have to be miserable on his brother’s wedding day just because he can so, she found herself agreeing to do Sergio a favor.

Sergio deserved to be happy on his brother’s wedding day (even if it’s already his sixth) and not worry about his family bothering him because he’s unmarried. If putting her personal feelings aside for a day and pretending to be his… _partner_ so he could have that, then it was a favor Raquel couldn’t refuse, even if the past few months of seeing Sergio’s face almost every day has been a testament of how difficult it’s been to keep her feelings to herself.

When Sergio first spoke of telling his cousin that he’s been seeing someone…

Raquel couldn’t find a good excuse for what she felt, but she’d rather not face the mix of disappointment and guilt that came to her when she believed that she’s missed her chance with someone who only considered her as a friend. Not to mention the relief that came when Sergio clarified that he lied and he needs her help to keep up with it…

Was she being selfish by agreeing to be his pretend date? Did she subconsciously agree to Sergio’s plan because it meant that she got to spend more time with him? Was she overstepping her boundaries?

Raquel shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. One thing was certain: Raquel was going to attend the wedding with Sergio to help him. The wedding was weeks away so it meant that she has enough time to mentally and emotionally prepare herself to become Sergio’s fake date for a day.

However, it seemed like fate, or specifically, Andrés has other plans. With Sergio’s brother’s invitation for dinner on Friday with her included, it only meant that whatever performance she and Sergio were about to bring to his wedding is getting an earlier release.

Raquel glanced at her watch and groaned. She won’t be late to her class if she walked fast enough, leaving her no more time to think about how Andrés could’ve possibly guessed that she’ll be pretending to be Sergio’s girlfriend at his wedding. After retrieving a large stack of graded exam papers from one of her desk drawers, Raquel left her office.

Meanwhile, Sergio has been restlessly pacing around his office ever since he arrived. Not only did his lunch ended up with him and Raquel agreeing to go to the wedding together and play the part of a couple, but Andrés also caught him by surprise _again_ by inviting him and Raquel to dinner with Ágata.

He adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. He was still finding it hard to believe that he’s asked Raquel, of all people, to pretend to be his date. Even if he realized the intensity of the mistake, it was already too late. Raquel had already made up her mind to play the part so he could keep up with the lie he told Monica and survive yet another of his brother’s weddings with his sanity intact.

He berated himself for being so dramatic. Even if he hated to describe himself that manner, he shouldn’t have let his family stress him out that way. Maybe if he hadn’t shown Raquel how affected he was by his current situation, then she wouldn’t feel like she needed to agree to the unreasonable favor he asked from her.

He’s survived years of the same treatment for years after all. His family will always remember without fail during the holidays and family gatherings to remind him that he’s not getting younger and that at his current state in life, he should be settling down with a family. They’re especially _concerned_ with regards to his bachelorhood during Andrés’s weddings, and Sergio couldn’t even explain how difficult it’s been when his damn brother has been through five marriages and his family’s been asking him about him getting married as well ever since Andrés’s first marriage. Sergio just finished his undergraduate degree at the time.

Despite his distress, Sergio completely understood that his family is coming from a good place – they took care of him and Andrés and their father’s estate after their father’s passing. Despite the modern times, he knew that his family’s traditional views when it comes to marriage are just driving their desire to see him married: the same people who’ve taken care of him and his brother for more than twenty years just wanted to see that there will be someone else who would be taking care of him for days to come. _That and the fact that his aunts just wanted more grandchildren_. Andrés might have proved himself as the marrying kind but he’s repeatedly proven that children weren’t going to be part of his life, leaving Sergio with the responsibility to bring more grandchildren into the family.

But as he’s been telling his family for years, there’s no need to worry – he’s fully capable of taking care of himself and he’s _content_. Teaching has been a dream ever since he was a child and not everyone gets to fulfill their childhood dreams in one of the best universities in Spain. Even if a career in academia is far from perfect, he’s still absolutely in love with his job and he’s still finding more reasons to love it as time goes on.

And if he’s found one of these reasons when he’d met a certain psychology professor in Café Hanoi almost two years ago was not the discussion Sergio was ready to partake in just yet.

Just like that he’s back to his current dilemma. He managed to stop himself from pacing to sit on his office couch. A week ago he’s entertained the idea of inviting Raquel to go to his brother’s wedding as his date. However, it seemed like the decision he made that day was completely useless now that Raquel was going to the wedding and on top of that, they’ll be pretending to be together.

The wedding was weeks away so it meant that he could try to convince Raquel again that he could manage on his own and that there won’t be a need for them to play a part in front of his family which left Sergio with only one immediate problem to deal with – his brother’s invitation to dinner on Friday night. Sergio knew exactly why Andrés was quick to assume that Raquel was the person he’s been seeing as he’s told Monica.

///

_4 months earlier_.

A conversation over lunch led to Sergio and Raquel to discussing Sergio’s newest investment for his office. After not one, but _two_ disappointing instances of a barista getting his coffee order wrong (Raquel couldn’t help but laugh out loud when Sergio exclaimed his _hatred_ for soy milk), he decided to buy a coffee machine of his own for when he’s at the university.

It took Sergio a great deal of courage (courage Sergio himself didn’t know that he had) to tell Raquel that if she ever needed a cup of coffee when she’s working late at her office and he’s also still at his office by any chance, she’s welcome to drop by his office and he’ll gladly make her a cup. Raquel agreed to the idea with a smile, but Sergio still couldn’t help but worry that he’s overstepped his boundaries.

While walking to his lecture after their lunch, he insisted to himself that what he did was only a friendly gesture. He simply told a friend that he was happy to make them a cup of coffee if they ever needed it and it also meant that the said friend wouldn’t have to spend the time and money just to get a half-decent cup from the nearest coffeehouse to the university.

Then again this friend was Raquel and if Sergio found himself thinking more frequently about how she sometimes scrunches up her nose when she laughed, how her eyes light up when she told him stories about her students, how enchanting it was to watch her tie her hair up in a bun with a pencil –

“_Oh for God’s sake_”, Sergio interrupted his train of thought. He only realized that he’d said the words out loud and he was already standing in front of his class in the lecture hall when the students who arrived early whipped their heads around to look at him in surprise.

"Sorry. I… " he pointed at his laptop that he had already set up on the podium in front of him, “Just give me a moment, I’m having a bit of trouble connecting my laptop to the screen.”

///

It was Friday night at it’s been hours since Raquel accepted Sergio’s invitation for coffee at his office and somehow Sergio has also convinced her that instead of returning to her office, she could just stay and work at his office so she can have as much coffee she wanted.

Raquel drank the last of her coffee and placed the empty mug on the coffee table. They both accomplished a lot for the hours they spent in his office. It could be because of the amount of caffeine they’ve consumed in total but Raquel couldn’t blame the two of them. The ground coffee beans Sergio bought turned out to be amazing and the coffee machine he had wasn’t exactly from the cheap variety either. She finished preparing a week’s worth of lectures for her General Psychology course and Sergio spent the evening working on the final exam for his Macroeconomics course he was teaching for undergrad.

While they each worked on their responsibilities, they managed to exchange a few stories throughout the night, stemming from their childhood and their teaching experiences. They also exchanged advice about dealing with different kinds of students and strategies on how they keep the class engaged in their lectures. Amid the serious conversations and the laughter, Raquel felt a warmth in her chest and she was sure enough that it wasn’t because of the coffee.

She checked the time on her phone. _10:30 PM_. She’s sure that her mother already ate dinner without her but it was time to go home.

“Sergio, thank you for tonight but I should go,” said Raquel as she packed up her things to leave. Sergio closed his laptop and walked towards the couch she currently occupied.

“I hope the coffee wasn’t bad.” Sergio smiled shyly.

“The coffee was great,” Raquel hesitated to add, “The company was great too.”

“Ah,” Sergio chuckled and placed both of his hands in the pockets of his slacks. “I hope I didn’t embarrass myself too much with all the stories…”

“Don’t worry, _Profesor._ Your secrets are safe with me.” Raquel wasn’t referring to his job title but the nickname she found out earlier that he’d earned as a child.

“Your secrets are safe with me too,” Sergio said with a smirk, and it was Raquel’s time to laugh. Her laptop was the last of her things to go into her bag. She got up from her seat, preparing to leave.

“Can I walk you to your car?” asked Sergio just as Raquel was about to say good night before leaving. “I- I mean I was the one who invited you here, and it’s a little late so I think it’s best if I walk you to your car? If that’s okay?”

“Sure,” she replied.

“Let me just get my jacket–” Sergio was on his way to retrieve the jacket he hung on the back of his chair when there was a knock at his door.

The two of them shared a surprised look.

“Who is it?” asked Sergio when the knocking started again.

“Sergio, _what on earth are you doing at work on a Friday night?_”

With those words, Sergio rushed to get the door. He opened the door to reveal a man in a dark coat.

“_Andrés_… what are you doing here?”

“I’m taking you out for dinner and drinks. You’ve had enough work done for the week, _Profesor._” .

Raquel watched as the man entered Sergio’s office. At that moment, the name from some of Sergio’s craziest stories now had a face. She wasn’t expecting that her curiosity regarding the man that warranted five divorces and even more headaches for his younger brother would be answered tonight.

"_Tsk tsk_, Sergio… This is too much. I love my work just as much as you do but a Friday is a Friday.

Sergio rolled his eyes. “The semester is ending. There’s just a lot of work–”

“_Oh,_” said Andrés when he noticed Raquel’s presence. Andrés turned to his brother with a wry smile. “Did I interrupt something?”

“No,” Raquel shook her head. “I- I was just about to leave.”

Sergio stepped in. “Raquel, this is Andrés, my older brother. Andrés, this is Raquel.”

Andrés waited for a few seconds for his brother to continue but after realizing that his brother won’t be offering any more details about the woman in front of him, he offered Raquel a handshake and she accepted.

“Nice to meet you, Raquel,” said Andrés with a smile.

“Nice to meet you too.” Raquel tried her best to keep her expression as neutral as it can be with her thoughts as far as they can be from Sergio’s story from a while ago about one of Andres’s ex-wives trying to run him over with his BMW in a supermarket parking lot.

Andrés threw a curious glance at his brother who’s eyes never left Raquel.

“Do you really have to leave? Why don’t you come and eat dinner with us?” He saw his brother whip his head towards his direction.

“Oh, maybe another time. My mother is waiting for me at home,” replied Raquel.

“Next time then,” said Andrés and Raquel nodded even if she’s not entirely sure if there would be another time.

“Do you mind waiting for me here?” Sergio addressed his brother. “I’m just going to walk Raquel to her car.”

“Sure.” Andrés removed his coat and sat on the couch Raquel occupied moments ago. “_Take all the time you need._”

Andrés watched as the two left the office with Sergio’s hand on the small of Raquel’s back.

///

Upon his return, Sergio suggested that he and Andrés could just have food delivered to his apartment and drink whatever beer he had in the refrigerator. Andrés agreed reluctantly and the two drove to Sergio’s apartment in Andrés’s car. Sergio knew that it meant that his brother wouldn’t pass up the chance to ask about Raquel in the short drive from the university to his apartment but he wasn’t going to pass up the chance to ride in his brother’s new Mercedes even if it meant taking the bus the next morning.

“Is there anything you’d like to say?” Sergio turned to Andrés as soon as the car exited the parking lot. He’d noticed the curious glances his brother has been throwing his way since he returned to the office.

"You and Raquel… when did you start seeing each other? "

Sergio shook his head. “We… we’re not together.”

“_Shit_, Sergio.” Andrés laughed out loud as he shook his head, “All this time I thought I was face to face with my future sister-in-law.” Sergio felt his heart skip a beat.

“Raquel and I are just _friends,_” Sergio stuttered, “I… I don’t know why you would think otherwise.”

“That’s your excuse?” Andrés scoffed. “Any reason why the two of you were in your office late at night?”

“We were just grading papers together. That’s all.” Sergio started to feel his ears go warm.

“Let’s assume that I believe that. Any explanation of why you were looking at a friend like that?”

“Like what exactly?”

“_Do you really want me to say it_?”

“Andrés, nothing is going on between me and Raquel. We’re just friends.” Sergio insisted.

“Be honest with me. You never looked at her and wished you were more than that?”

Sergio adjusted his eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose. “Just keep your eyes on the road, Andrés.”

“I can both drive and ask my brother about his love life, you know,” defended Andrés.

Silence enveloped the car as Sergio contemplated his reply.

“Even if I’ve only known Raquel for a year, I can’t deny that I do feel closer to her than the women I’ve previously dated,” Sergio said quietly. “So yes, I’ve wanted to be more than a friend to Raquel.”

Andrés arched an eyebrow, waiting for the caveat that came with his brother’s confession.

“What’s stopping you?”

“Raquel only considers me as a friend and I’m alright with that.”

Andrés resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “That’s the most bullshit reason you can come up with. Ask her out for a drink one of these days and I’m already telling you that she’ll say yes.”

“How can you say that when you’ve met Raquel for five minutes?!” Sergio asked in disbelief.

“I just have a gut feeling, that’s all.” Andres shrugged. “You don’t have to thank me when she accepts, just thank me in your wedding speech.”

Sergio chuckled. “Should I really take relationship advice from you, of all people?”

“Well, it happens to be that I give great advice when it comes to relationships that I never follow.”

///

_Present day._

Raquel watched as the last of her students left the lecture hall before removing the pencil she had in her hair that kept her hair up in a bun. After she powering off the projector and picking up her laptop and her bag, she scanned the hall one last time for any items her students might have forgotten. She was lucky enough to not have anything to bring to the lost and found box today.

Raquel was absolutely ready to go home. She was exhausted, and a hot bath with a glass of wine was the only consolation she could ask for the day she just had, especially with what she’s done over lunch with Sergio.

She was surprised to see the man himself waiting for her outside the lecture hall.


	5. The Plan, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergio and Raquel prepare for dinner with Andres and Agata and get to know each other more along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay. University was kicking my ass for the past few weeks 😂 Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter even if it's a short one! See you next week with a new update when the semester finally ends!

“Sergio? Is everything all right?”

“I’m fine.” Sergio was now aware of how showing up outside Raquel’s lecture hall unannounced might not have been the best idea. “Can we talk, if you’re not busy?”

Raquel shook her head. “I just finished my last class for the day. What do you want to talk about?”

Sergio checked the hallway for students who might overhear what he was about to say, and having found that hallway was clear except for the two of them, he replied. “I’m sorry if I’m keeping you from heading home, but I can’t let the day end without telling you again that you don’t need to come with me to the wedding, Raquel.”

“I thought we already settled this a while ago…”

“I know. _I know._” Sergio took a deep breath before continuing. “I still think that I’m asking too much from you.”

“Friends help each other, Sergio. If it makes you happy, if I need a fake date for a wedding in the future, you’ll be the first one I’ll ask.”

“I’m thankful that you’ll consider me first before Alicia.” Sergio started to feel a little less anxious about the whole situation.

Raquel smirked. “Don’t be too flattered, though. I’m just going to ask you first because she _hates_ weddings.”

Sergio smiled. “We’re really going to do this, aren’t we?”

“Yes, we are. Besides the wedding. It seems like we have a dinner to go to on Friday?”

“About that…” Sergio cleared his throat. “Based on Andrés’s invitation, he’s expecting… he’s expecting us together. Do you think it’s wise for us to go.”

“Is saying no to your brother even a choice?” Raquel remembered how Andrés announced that he was taking Sergio out for dinner and drinks without allowing his brother to say no that night he showed up at his office.

“I can only remember saying no to my brother a few times and it rarely works in my favor, so I stopped trying. I wouldn’t be able to get out this dinner but I can just say that you’re not available on Friday night so you don’t have to go.”

“That would work, but he’s going to be asking about me. Do you think you can answer him alone without giving away anything?”

Sergio contemplated an answer for a few moments. He knows his brother’s curiosity about him and Raquel was one of the main reasons why he arranged the dinner in the first place. Sergio was certain that Andrés won’t be letting him off the hook for apparently hiding his “relationship” especially when hed’ been the one to tell Sergio months ago to take Raquel out on a date.

“I was planning to dodge any of his questions about you and me the whole night. It wouldn’t make for a great conversation over dinner but it would do the job.”

“I think that would make him even more curious and we don’t want him curious enough to suspect anything.” Raquel pointed out.

“What do you suggest?” Sergio knew what she was about to say since he was already familiar with Raquel’s way of dealing with problems directly and confidently. He watched as a determined expression appears on her face.

“I should just go with you,” said Raquel.

“Are you sure?” asked Sergio. While it might be the best path to take, he wasn’t ready for the thought of having to sit down for dinner with Raquel and Andrés when their brief encounter at his office last term was almost enough to make his head burst.

Raquel responded with a nod. “It will be good for us to establish our credibility early on. It does mean that whatever act we were supposed to show at the wedding has to be pushed to Friday night.”

“We better start planning then.”

///

The next day, instead of eating their lunch at Hanoi as they usually did, the two brought back their usual lunch orders to Sergio’s office as per his request. They had agreed the day prior that they’ll be discussing their plan for dinner with Andrés over lunch and the cafe didn’t exactly provide the privacy they’ll be needing.

Raquel couldn’t hide her surprise when Sergio opened the door to his office: the office itself was the same except for the mobile whiteboard that now separated the sitting area and his desk.

Before Raquel could even ask, Sergio already supplied the explanation she needed.

“I borrowed the whiteboard from one of the classrooms before we met at Hanoi. I figured we’ll be needing it to take note of everything, don’t you think?”

“_Sure._” Raquel managed to say, as she resisted the urge to laugh. Never in a million years could she imagine that they would be in a situation where they’ll planning out a fake relationship on a whiteboard like two master criminals planning the biggest con in the history of Spain.

///

“So, how do we start?” Raquel pointed at the whiteboard currently located in the middle of Sergio’s office. after they’ve eaten lunch on Sergio’s couch.

“Well… I’m sorry to say but you have to help me out here.” Sergio explained. “I’ve never been in a serious relationship before.”

Raquel’s eyebrows shot up in response. “Really? Not even one?” Raquel knew that Sergio wasn’t seeing anyone and it has been that way since they’ve met, but she didn’t expect that it would go as far as never having a serious relationship.

“I had a girlfriend in college. We met in one of those dinners the university sometimes hosted for scholars but… Let’s say we liked each other enough to date for almost a year if you can call that serious.”

“Why did you break up?”

“Ah, I guess it’s just that we rarely saw each other in the end. She was in political science and she was just as focused on graduating with honors as I was.”

“And you’ve never dated since then?” This was the first time Sergio was opening up about his dating history and Raquel was curious. The friendship they’ve built in the last two years has made them familiar with each other’s life but she and Sergio rarely touched on the topic.

Sergio shook his head. “I never had another serious relationship since then if you could even call that a serious relationship, but I did date. It’s… it’s just been a while.”

“Really? That’s hard to believe.” The words were out of Raquel’s mouth before she could give them another thought.

“_What do you mean?_”

“We’re in Madrid. It’s a big, bustling city. Surely you’ve met people you found _interesting_,” reasoned Raquel, avoiding his gaze. She most definitely not thinking about how he was _attractive_ and women who have a working pair of eyes would at least notice.

“It’s not that there’s a shortage of interesting people in Madrid. For the last two years, I just didn’t feel the need that’s all.”

“It’s been that long?”

“_Yes_,” said Sergio, realizing the time that he stopped dating altogether had coincided with the period that he’d met and become friends with Raquel. “But enough about me and my non-existing dating life.”

Sergio walked towards the whiteboard. “Where do you think we should begin?” He picked up one of the black markers attached to the board with a magnet.

Raquel vacates her seat, following Sergio. “We should start with the basics. Small things like our first meeting, the first date, things like that. We could figure things along as we go.”

“We can start with the first meeting. I think that we don’t have to lie about that, don’t you think? We can just tell them about how we met at Hanoi.”

“That makes sense.”

With Raquel’s agreement, Sergio wrote the words ‘_first meeting: Hanoi_’ on the whiteboard.

“The next easiest thing to agree on is how long have we been dating. I was thinking that we’ll just say that we say that we started this semester. I met your brother last semester so I think it will be a little too suspicious if we say that we were already dating then or even earlier than that.”

Sergio nodded, and Raquel picked the remaining marker. As she wrote the words ‘_since when? beginning of the semester_’, Sergio wondered if Andrés would mention how he had thought that they were together when he met Raquel back then. The possibility was enough for his stomach to be in knots.

“I think this is where the easy part ends,” said Raquel. Both Sergio and Raquel’s eyes were both on the whiteboard. The standard-sized whiteboard started to feel incredibly huge due to the contrast between the space and the small area on the lefthand corner they both wrote in.

///

Time flew by. Sergio and Raquel had been discussing, revising, and writing down details of their plan for what felt like a lifetime. Along the way, Raquel had put her hair in a bun with the pencil she always carried in her bag. Sergio had his best not to _stare_, to keep his eyes on the board during the times she spoke and wrote things down.

Raquel took a step back after writing the last detail they spoke about. Sergio did the same, and the pair’s eyes scanned through the details of their pretend relationship that they’ve constructed in the past few hours. The white space has been filled with details of the relationship with Sergio and Raquel were supposed to have, the one they were on the quest of making Sergio’s family believe that they were having.

Raquel snapped a picture of the entire board and for a moment she felt like she transformed into one of her students. Instead of theories in psychology, she would be reading on how she and Sergio were supposed to be together which she thought would be a rather interesting read before bed.

The two returned to their seats on the couch to rest their legs. They were standing for hours and they were starting to feel the consequences. Raquel wasn’t particularly fond of the reality that she was going to walk back to the next building for her lecture where she’d be standing in front of her students for another hour. She spared a glance at Sergio who was still examining the contents of the whiteboard from his seat.

They’ve made great progress in the last two hours. The board had been filled with big and small details they were supposed to know as… _partners_: like a few of their favorite things, basic information about their families (mostly Sergio’s since Raquel was going to meet a lot of them at the wedding), and things of that nature. There were two to three times during their discussion that one of them pointed out that they were getting into the details for two people that were supposed to have been dating for a few months but they both considered that it was the very first time in his life that Sergio was bringing someone home, so to speak, and they will be curious.

(Without the knowledge of the other, both Sergio and Raquel did thoroughly enjoy learning about each other even more.)

“Do you think that’s enough?” Raquel scanned over everything they’ve written one last time.

“I think so.” Sergio ran through each detail they’ve written for what seemed like the third time since he took a seat to memorize each one and turned to Raquel.

“By the way, since we’re going to be… pretending to be together, I think we should establish that if one of us does something or says something that makes the other uncomfortable we should say it right away.”

“Yes I agree,” said Raquel. Raquel rested her hands on her knees.

“Promise if you feel uncomfortable in any that you’ll tell me, all right?” Sergio insisted.

Raquel nodded. “You should also promise me the same thing.”

“Of course.”

Raquel swallowed a lump on her throat. “We are supposed to be together, so can we be at least agree to be comfortable to hold each other’s hand? I mean… Well, we can’t be standing three feet apart all the time and – Do you think that a little contact will be fine?”

“Uh, yeah… I think that’s only fair.” Sergio pulled at his collar ever so slightly as Raquel averted her eyes from him.

“If only if you’re comfortable with it, of course,” emphasized Raquel.

“I… I am. You’re right. I didn’t think about it, but it makes sense.”

Raquel turned to Sergio. “It’s fine if you don’t want to–”

Sergio took Raquel’s right hand and laced her fingers with his. Raquel is surprised not only by the action but with the warmth of Sergio’s hand in hers. Their eyes meet and Raquel’s gaze held his for a moment.

“Is… is this okay?” It was Sergio who broke the silence in the room.

“Y-Yes. I think it’s fine,” said Raquel.

“Okay.” The two pull their hands away and Sergio slowly released the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Are we good?”

Raquel nodded. “I should go. I have another lecture in a bit.”

Sergio stood as Raquel got up to leave. “Did Andrés already tell you what time and where we’re supposed to meet for dinner tomorrow?”

“Oh, have you heard of the restaurant called The Lantern House?”

“No, is it new?”

“Apparently, yes. One of Agata’s clients owns the place and they want us to see the place first with them. He also asked if you’re all right with dinner at 9?”

“Sure. Is it okay if I go home first to change then we can meet someplace before heading to the restaurant together?”

“Oh,” Sergio hesitated. “I was thinking of driving there together.”

“I’ll be fine taking a cab, Sergio. You don’t have to drive to my house.”

“Raquel, it’s nothing,” he insisted. “Look, I don’t want you to spend a dime on this and it’s way more both of us if we take my car.”

“You know my house is a bit far from the university, right?”

“It’s fine. Please, Raquel. You’re already doing me a big favor. Please let me do this for you.”

“All right, all right.” Sergio’s curled into a small smile as Raquel gave in. “I’ll just text you my address later. I really have to go.”

“Thank you for your time today, Raquel. I can’t even think of how I’ll make it up to you,” said Sergio as he walked with Raquel to the door.

“Sergio, don’t think too much about it, okay?” Raquel replied, with a smile. “See you tomorrow.”

As Raquel closed the door behind her, Sergio’s thoughts drifted back to the feeling of holding her hand in his earlier. He quickly brushed the thoughts away with a sigh. _There was no way he was going to survive tomorrow night._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to take this chance to take everyone who's read/commented/left a kudos. I really appreciate it and thanks to you I've been really enjoying writing these two nerds even more. I hope you guys stick with us until the end 😁


	6. The Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dinner with Andres and Agata comes around and Sergio hypothetically asks Raquel question that's been overdue for months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. Sorry for taking so long but I hope this chapter makes the wait worth it 😂

Raquel echoed her students' farewells and wished all of them a great summer break as they filed out of the class. It has been a fantastic semester for Raquel all in all and it was largely because she's lucky to be blessed with a great group of students to teach in all of her courses.

With her classes ending before noon, she decided to spend the rest of the day at home before heading out to dinner. After her discussion with Sergio during yesterday's lunch, her nervousness has only gone up and down.

Raquel was already packing up her things when Alicia entered the office.

"Leaving already?" Alicia asked.

Raquel nodded, and Alicia approached Raquel's desk to pull her into a hug.

"This office would be deadly quiet without you for the summer semester. Promise me we'll see each other at least _twice_ in the next two months."

"Of course."

Alicia eventually released Raquel from her arms and right then Raquel just wanted to confide everything that has happened for the past two weeks.

Sergio.

His brother's wedding in the summer.

Pretending to be together in front of his family.

Hell, even that night's dinner with Andres and his fiancée.

While she knew Alicia would have her head for keeping her in the dark about these recent developments in her life, she wasn't ready to tell her everything on a Friday afternoon without the influence of alcohol. Raquel decided to keep her friend in the dark a little longer. She would've found a way to lessen the blow when the time comes.

After saying goodbye to Alicia, Raquel headed home.

///

"You're home early," Marivi noted as Raquel entered the house.

Raquel followed her mother's voice to the kitchen where Marivi was chopping vegetables on the kitchen island. Raquel was reminded of the fact that like Alicia, she hasn't told her mother anything about her current _arrangement_ with Sergio.

"It's the last day of the semester today. I only have classes in the morning and I didn't have anything urgent that I needed to work on in the office so I went home." Raquel placed her things on their dining table and took a seat. While her words were already partially true, Raquel knew that it was only fair that she told her mother the truth (or at least, a part of it.)

"You're just in time for lunch. This will be ready in a few minutes."

"Do you need any help?"

Marivi shook her head as she went over to stir what Raquel assumed to be stew that she was preparing on the stove. "No need. You relax and I'll call you when it's done."

The moment presented her with a chance, and Raquel decided to take it with caution.

"Mamá," Raquel began. "I won't be here for dinner. I'll be having dinner with... a friend."

"Ah." Marivi regarded her daughter from the kitchen with a growing smile, "And is this friend the same friend you told me about, the one who let you borrow his phone on your first day."

"Yes."

"The same friend you were having lunch with almost twice a week this semester?"

"Yes."

"There's nothing shameful in telling your mother you have a date."

Raquel could've sworn the room became at least a few degrees warmer as her mother spoke.

"_Mamá_, it's... it's not a date," said Raquel defensively, while well aware that that night's dinner wall beyond being described as such.

How often do people meet their friend's brother and their brother's fiancee for dinner under the pretense of being together?

"Raquel, you don't have to explain," her mother replied, "Date or not, as long as it makes you happy, I'm happy." 

Raquel watched as her mother's expression turned serious. "After everything that has happened in the past, you deserve it."

Marivi brought the vegetable she's done chopping to the stove and said: "Come on. Change out of those work clothes and let's have lunch."

///

A quick Google search of their restaurant for the night was enough for Raquel to question the attire she had initially planned for the evening.

While the restaurant was only open for less than three months, its popularity was sky-high, especially for the wealthier residents of Madrid. Based on the select reviews on the restaurant that she was able to skim through, it was practically impossible to get a table without making a reservation at least a few weeks in advance.

The fact that Andres and his fiancée seemed to have invited her and Sergio to what must have been their dinner reservation made Raquel curious about the kind of lifestyle the two lived.

With a sigh, she looked at the dress she put on her bed one last time before dressing up.

Meanwhile, Sergio was in his white long-sleeve shirt and slacks for at least half an hour, still undecided on the color of his tie. As well as his suit jacket. Or whether he was going to wear the usual suit jacket or choose one of his more casual blazers instead.

He was overthinking. He _knew_ that, but tonight wasn't just one of his and Andres's get-togethers. It was his first time meeting Agata as his brother's wife-to-be and perhaps, more importantly (even if he'd never admit it out loud), it was the first time he was meeting Raquel outside the immediate vicinity of the university.

He wanted to look presentable at the very least and not make it seem like all he had the same suit in different colors. Which he does, but it was a nice suit made by his father's trusted tailor and the design did fit him well.

A glance at his watch confirmed his suspicion: if he didn't make up his mind soon, they won't make it to the restaurant by 9.

Making up his mind, Sergio was out of the door of his apartment in less than five minutes.

///

After styling her hair into a bun, Raquel put on a red lip to finish her look for the night. She took in the rest of her outfit with uncertainty.

It's been months since she purchased the dress on a whim, a cream-colored satin halterneck dress that went past her knees, and stored at the back of her closet, destined to never to see the light of day. However, it was the only dress in her closet that she found to be acceptable for the place they were dining out later.

Raquel checked her hair and make-up and smoothed down the nonexistent creases on her dress one last time before taking the clutch heading downstairs. Taking a seat on the dining chair nearest to the front door, she could hear her mother watching TV in the living room.

Raquel knew that it was best to not let her mother have the opportunity to answer the door. She was nervous as she was and worrying about her mother and Sergio interacting before they left was the last thing she wanted to do tonight.

She busied herself with playing around with her phone and casually listening in to the program her mother was watching until the sound of a car pulling up in front of her house signaled that her wait was over.

///

To say that Sergio was at a loss of words was an understatement. Raquel opened the door before he even had the opportunity to knock and it was safe to say that she was _breath-taking_. The nervousness that threatened to overwhelm him while he was driving from his apartment to her house were silenced just by the sight of Raquel. 

"Good evening," he managed to say. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes. Just let me say goodbye to my mother first."

He watched as Raquel disappeared into her house, and used the opportunity to calm his racing heart.

///

A few moments later, Sergio and Raquel were in the car, en route to the restaurant.

The conversation so far has been sparse. Raquel was nervous to say at least and judging by the tightness of Sergio's hands on the wheel that he felt the same way. 

Raquel kept her eyes on the road (or at least tried to, to keep herself from appreciating how Sergio looked for the evening. 

Seeing him at work was a constant reminder of how good he looked in a suit, but something about tonight's ensemble – a grey blazer with a white button-down shirt underneath and his lack of a tie – just managed to hit her differently. 

///

"Are you ready?" She asked as she and Sergio entered the premises of the restaurant. 

"I'm as ready as I can be." 

Sergio and Raquel took in the sight of the restaurant as they waited for the staff that will entertain them. The Lantern House lived up to its name as ornate lanterns lit up each table instead of candlelight. Just as Raquel expected, the restaurant was filled with tonight. She's also glad that she picked the dress that she was currently wearing. Based on the attire of the other restaurant guests, any other outfit she pulled out from her closed would have rendered her underdressed for the place. 

Their waiter led them to their table towards the back of the restaurant where the booths were, Sergio spotted his brother in a charcoal suit. Andres and Agata were already seated together in one of the tables. The couple stood up to greet them, then returned to their seats as Sergio and Raquel took the booth seat on the other side of the table. 

Sitting across from her, Raquel immediately noticed Agata's beauty. The woman in front of Raquel is certainly a few years younger than her and Sergio, in her early or mid-thirties, perhaps. Her outfit in itself, a red jumpsuit with a plunging neckline, told Raquel that she's a woman of modern tastes and her gold jewelry was a testament of her style and that she's fabulously wealthy. Raquel has no idea how much an owner of an art gallery makes in a year, but considering the number of paintings she saw when she and Sergio entered the restaurant (She counted at least a dozen), she must've made a considerable amount of money working with the owner of this establishment alone.

Raquel couldn't think of a word to describe Sergio's brother at the moment, except for _lucky_. 

///

"If you don't mind me asking," Sergio began right after the waiter was done taking their orders, "Why marry in such a short notice? Andres told me the story of him proposing but I never got the chance to ask about it."

"I guess Andres already told you what happened before he proposed?" It was Agata who spoke. "I wasn't expecting him to propose at all. The next thing I knew is that we're getting married. I told him that I wanted to get married in the summer and he said that it'll be too long if we wait until next year, so here we are. It's your brother's fault, really."

"How's the preparation so far? It must be difficult to get everything ready for a wedding is such a short time."

"The next day after we got engaged, it hit me that there was so much that needed to be done," Agata replied with a chuckle, "Besides the wedding, I also had work and everything was a mess for a few days. The wedding only started to take shape when I started cashing in favors from my clients and my friends were also a big help."

"You should see her, Sergio. She runs the whole wedding planning thing like a drill sergeant," said Andres, with nothing but admiration in his voice.

"Has my brother been helpful at all?" The question was enough for Sergio to earn a glare from his brother.

"Offering your house in Toledo was a big help because I could only imagine that most places will be booked because of course, everyone wants to get married in the summer. Other than that, he's pretty useless."

Sergio, Raquel, and Agata laughed at the expense of Andres, who playfully rolled his eyes.

"Hey! I always ask you if there's anything I can do to help but you always tell me no."

"I asked you to invite your side of the family and of all people, you took your sweet time inviting your brother," Agata pointed out and Andres threw an apologetic look towards Sergio's direction.

"It's fine now, Agata. We talked about it and he's... forgiven."

Raquel watched as relief washed over Andres and Agata with Sergio's words.

"I'm still incredibly sorry, Sergio. I should've checked on your brother if he told you already but--"

"You shouldn't blame yourself. It's my brother's fault, _really_." Sergio echoed Agata's words from earlier, with a sarcastic tone in his voice.

Andres rolled his eyes again. "You two are talking about me as if I'm not here."

"You better get used to it," said Agata with a smirk.

An exasperated sigh escaped Andres's lips before he smiled wryly at Sergio and Raquel. "To be fair, I wasn't the only one with a secret back then."

Raquel and Sergio braced themselves. "Look, it's not as big as getting engaged," Sergio reasoned.

"That's true," Raquel placed a hand on Sergio's arm, "Believe me, Andres, when I say that Sergio right didn't want to keep you in the dark, but the last time you two met the timing was just off and he had a lot in his mind... to say at least."

"All right. All right. _I understand_."

Raquel and Sergio shared a look, in celebration of their first victory of the night.

///

It didn't surprise Sergio that Raquel and Agata would get along, despite tonight being their first meeting. Having found out that Raquel was teaching psychology at the university and worked in a practice for years prior, Agata showed much interest in Raquel's work and two started chatting, with Raquel showing the same delight in hearing about Agata's background in art history and her work with her art gallery.

The brothers chimed in the two's conversation from time to time, but there were a few instances that it seemed like the two were in their bubble. Andres and Sergio's eyes met as Agata told Raquel that she first got into art when she saw a TV special that showed how museums verified if a painting was real or not. 

The look in his brother's eyes told Sergio one thing: _We're going to be in trouble._

Sergio replied with a small shrug, to say: _We'll be fine_.

His brother returned to his meal, shaking his head and slightly chuckling.

///

It was Agata who asked about how they met.

Raquel took charge of telling her the story of how her phone died while she was at Hanoi in the middle of a conversation with her former colleague in Portugal concerning the transfer of some important documents that she's left with the university she taught at in Lisbon.

"... so after I asked the cashier if they had a charger that I could borrow and they said no, this handsome stranger sitting at the bar offered to let me borrow his phone."

Sergio felt the blush rise to his cheeks. _Did Raquel just call him handsome?_

"I wanted to say no at first because we all know how expensive international calls are, but he insisted, said that it looked like a really important conversation," Raquel continued, "After I finish up the call to my friend, I wanted to pay him upfront for the charges but he just said no. I repeatedly asked him to take my money but he told me no every time. I ended up giving up eventually but that's the story of how I got to make an international call for free and how I also ended up making my first friend after moving back to Spain."

"That was really _smooth_, Sergio. I didn't know you had it in you." Andres grinned at his brother and Sergio threw him a deadpan look despite the heat that he still felt in his cheeks.

"Did it take long for the two of you to date?" Agata inquired, and Sergio couldn't be more grateful to be saved from his brother's teasing.

"You can say that we took our time," Raquel took a sip of her wine, "We met three semesters ago. You can say that we only started to get our act together at the start of this year."

Agata's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I can't believe it. Look at me and Andres, we met half a year ago and our first meeting wasn't half as interesting as yours. I think the two of you should be the ones getting married in a week."

Sergio and Raquel's eyes met at the mention of marriage and the two shared a nervous laugh. Their attention returned to the other occupants of the table as Andres spoke with a feigned look of hurt and disappointment in his face.

"Agata, if this is your way of calling off the engagement..."

///

Raquel couldn't pinpoint how it happened, but in the middle of listening to Andres's story of how he and Agata met, Raquel realized that somehow, Sergio's hand found hers (or her hand found his. She wasn't sure.)

It surprised her how natural it felt, holding Sergio's hand, despite her initial shock when he took her hand in his yesterday at his office. With their hands resting in the space between the two of them on their seat, completely out of Andres and Agata's sight, the act itself didn't serve its intended purpose as they've planned out yesterday.

Despite knowing this, Raquel couldn't bring herself to complain.

///

_"Did Andres ever tell you the story of our driver chasing him across the garden because he caught my brother making out with his daughter in the garage?"_

Sergio's story had snowballed into the series of his brother's most embarrassing childhood memories, which had Agata in fits of laughter. The sight of his brother's ears turning progressively redder as he went on only encouraged him to continue. Andres tried to retaliate with his accounts of Sergio's misadventures as a child, but Sergio had the unfair advantage of Andres being the wild one.

Glancing at Raquel beside him and seeing her laugh with her eyes closed was enough for his heart to soar.

///

The fact that his hand was in Raquel's only came to Sergio's attention went their waiter came back at the end of their meal to each hand them a copy of the dessert menu. 

Receiving the menu with both hands, he immediately noticed the absence of the warmth in his left hand: _Was he holding Raquel's hand the entire time?_

"Is it okay if we shared a dessert?" The sound of Raquel's voice broke him out of Sergio's reverie.

"Sure, do you want to get the triple chocolate cake?"

Raquel's eyes brightened at the mention of chocolate. "Sure."

Putting the dessert menu down, Sergio tried not to think about holding Raquel's hand again. 

///

Dinner almost ended with Andres and Agata having a minor argument about who should handle the check. In the end, Andres conceded defeat, with a slight smile forming in his lips while Agata triumphantly retrieved her credit card from her wallet. Observing the scene from across the table, Sergio's mind wandered back to his brother's words from the night they talked about his engagement. 

"I want to thank you the two of you for spending your evening with us," Andres spoke as the four of them stood on the sidewalk just outside the restaurant. "I hope the two of you had a great time."

Andres stepped forward to hug Sergio. "Take care. See you in Toledo." 

Much to her surprise, Andres turned to Raquel to hug her as well. "I never thought he'll actually do it, but I'm happy that Sergio followed my advice."

A mixture of curiosity and confusion took over Raquel as Andres released her from the hug.

_Advice about what?_

Meanwhile, Sergio hesitated before giving Agata hug. "I admire you for having reached this far without pointing a gun to my brother's head," he said.

"Sergio, if you only knew how many times I've considered that..." Sergio and Agata chuckled. 

"He's lucky to have you, you know."

"_Believe me. I know._"

"Hey, that hug's going on for too long," joked Andres, just as Agata and Sergio separated. Agata playfully shoved her fiancé before turning to Raquel.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," Agata began, "Please tell me I'll be seeing you again in a week?" She eyed both Sergio and Raquel which almost made Raquel laugh. _If only she knew..._

"Of course."

Agata stepped forward to give her a quick hug and Raquel thought that if her current situation with Sergio wasn't simply the way it was, she would have loved to be friends with Agata. 

The couple said their goodbye to Sergio and Raquel one last time before their driver arrived picked them up.

///

The atmosphere when they were back in Sergio's car was considerably lighter than it was on their way to the restaurant. Both Sergio and Raquel considered the night as a success: it appeared that Andres and Agata had no clue that they weren't together. 

In comparison to the silence during the drive earlier, a lively conversation took up the space as the two touched on different topics concerning the dinner, from the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant to Andres and Agata. 

"I don't remember telling you this, but the first time I had dinner with my brother and Agata, I already had the feeling Andres was going to marry her. It just wasn't expecting it to be this soon, considering the mess of his last divorce." Sergio spoke halfway into the drive. 

"Really? What gave your brother away?"

"The look in his eyes when he listens to her speak. I can't explain it but there's _something_."

_A look of love, maybe?_ Raquel thought to herself. She's only met Andres twice, so she definitely didn't know the man as good as his brother did but she can confirm to herself that tonight, she's seen that _something_ too. It intrigued Raquel to see that in someone who's been through five divorces. It almost makes her feel hopeful. 

"My brother's track record isn't the best, but do you think they'll last?"

"I think it's too early to tell. The fact that they both have strong personalities may not be good for them in the long run. They're going to drive each other _crazy_," Raquel offered. "But somehow, I feel like they balance each other out, don't you think?"

Sergio hummed in approval. "All this time I thought I was just being too optimistic for those two. Hearing that from you, it seems like they actually have a chance."

///

Andres's words came back to Raquel as she removed her seatbelt. 

_I'm happy that Sergio followed my advice._

Her curiosity and confusion returned and she's out of the car before Sergio had a chance to open the door for her. The two walked up to Raquel's house in silence. Raquel saw the light in the living room was still on and silently wished that her mother won't suddenly appear at the front door before she could ask about what Andres said and before she could properly say goodbye. 

"I had a great time, _all things considered_," said Sergio.

"Me too." 

"Thank you, Raquel. Before you dismiss me again for saying those words again, I just want you to know that I just can't help but be grateful for what you've done and what you're going to do."

The edge of her lips curled into a smile. "That's what's friends are for, right?"

"Right," a slight laugh escaped Sergio's lips in an attempt to cover up his nervousness. "As I said before, if there's absolutely anything I could do to return the favor, please let me know."

"Let's hope I won't be needing a fake boyfriend anytime soon."

The grin that appeared on Sergio's face was enough to send a fluttering feeling to her stomach. There was no use in blaming the wine she had at dinner or the warmth of the summer air. 

"Andres said something to me a while ago," Raquel saw Sergio's eyes visibly widen at the mention of his brother.

"When he was saying goodbye, he told me that he's glad that you followed his advice," Raquel added. "Care to share what he meant by that?"

Sergio was quiet as he considered his reply. "Remember last semester when Andres came to the office when you were there?" Sergio offered tentatively and Raquel nodded. "He asked me on the way home if we were together. When I told him no, he said something about asking you out on a date."

Sergio didn't expect the disappointed look in Raquel's face.

"Well, that was months ago and you didn't ask. You must have your reasons..."

Several replies ran through Sergio's mind.

_I didn't know how to ask you. I was terrified. I didn't want to ruin what we already have._

Yet he can't bring himself to say any of them. Sergio took a deep breath.

"You've been doing that a lot."

"Huh?"

"Adjusting your eyeglasses." Sergio was completely unaware that he's done it.

"Sorry. It's a nervous habit. I've had it since I was little." Only then did he realize that there was no point in explaining the habit to a psychologist with years of education and experience under her belt. 

"Are you saying that I make you nervous?"

"A lot of things concerning you happened recently that are making me nervous." 

While his words were almost completely true, Sergio's mind screamed: _You make me nervous because I'm in love with you._

Sergio cursed at himself as his words only caused Raquel to deepen her frown.

Sergio took another deep breath, before asking: "Raquel if I asked you back then, would you... would you have said yes?"

Raquel's frown slowly dissipated as she processed what Sergio just said.

"I would have, and I will if you do."

After a beat or two, Raquel closed the distance between the two of them to place a kiss just at the corner of his mouth. When she pulled away, their eyes met and Raquel can't put herself to say that she can see a hint of _something_ in his eyes just yet. 

"Good night, Sergio," Raquel said softly, giving him one last smile for the night before heading inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the holidays is treating everyone well! 
> 
> I'm making no promises this time around, but if things turn out well, we'll see each other again before Christmas day. I hope the next chapter is a nice enough Christmas gift from me to you 🎁
> 
> I would like to thank everyone who's read/commented/left a kudos again. I really appreciate it!


	7. The Dress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dinner with Andres and Agata, Sergio and Raquel reach a standstill. Raquel finds a dress to wear to the wedding, eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had tons of fun this Christmas, my gift may be a tad late, but here it is 😬
> 
> First things first, it's come to my attention that I made a mistake last chapter. I repeatedly wrote that Andres and Agata's wedding will be in two weeks when I already mentined in a past chapter that the wedding will happen a week after the semester ends. I already corrected the last chapter. Sorry for this!
> 
> For reference here are dresses Raquel will be trying on this chapter (excuse the ugly links):
> 
> https://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-midi-dress-with-layered-skirt-and-wrap-waist-with-lace-trim-detail/prd/13704364?clr=forest-green&colourWayId=16558927&SearchQuery=&cid=13934  
https://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-pleated-cami-midi-dress-with-drawstring-waist/prd/12937930?clr=dark-pink&colourWayId=16524876&SearchQuery=&cid=13934  
https://www.asos.com/asos-design/asos-design-split-sleeve-cape-back-dipped-hem-maxi-dress-with-tie-shoulder/prd/13478064?clr=red&colourWayId=16480675&SearchQuery=&cid=13934

Sleep completely eluded Sergio. He’s been staring at the ceiling of his bedroom since he’s made the effort to get into bed. During the drive home to his apartment up to now, it felt like there couldn’t be any other coherent thoughts in his mind except for the feeling of Raquel’s kiss that was just so close to his lips.

_I would have and I will if you do._

Her words and the honesty in her voice left him speechless even before she leaned in to kiss him.

He couldn’t recall anything in his life that’s given him this much hope. However, he couldn’t think of anything that’s made him feel this much dread either.

Since Andres put the possibility of dating Raquel in his mind, he’s come up with what seems like a million reasons why he shouldn’t.

But now it’s different.

Now, a sign that Raquel might just feel the same way about him was in his hands.

_What was he supposed to do now?_

///

It was a nice day out and Raquel’s idea of taking advantage of the weather was sitting in the backyard with a book, soaking in the sun. Her mind was set to starting with the clinical psychology book that she got for herself in the middle of the semester with the promise of reading the entirety of it during the summer break.

Less than half an hour in, she’s already given up: she’s read the same paragraph three times and she’s only on page four.

She heads back inside, thinking that a bath would help clear her mind.

_It doesn’t._

She sat in the tub with the water almost reaching her shoulder and Raquel was still thinking about why she hasn’t heard from Sergio for almost three days.

Not that she was expecting a text or anything at all since the night they had dinner, or specifically since he’d asked her if she would’ve said yes if he asked her out on a date (She was.)

_Did she overstep her boundaries when she kissed him on the cheek that night?_

_Did she misinterpret what she saw right before she said good night?_

Raquel sighed as she pulled her knees to her chest.

///

He _knew_ that the ball was now in his court and for the past few days, this reality has filled Sergio with so much anxiety since it came to be.

It seemed like he picked up his phone only to set it down for the hundredth time today and he won’t bother counting the times he did the same yesterday and the day before.

_Was he supposed to send her a text? Or give her a call?_

_Should he ask Raquel if she’s completely sure about what she said that night?_

His mind ran in circles, again and again, asking the same questions. Doubting and doubting and doubting.

In moments of clarity, he considered simply taking a leap of faith. Is it supposed to be as easy as that, when it’s Raquel, his closest friend and without a doubt, the most important relationship of his life outside his family?

He ran a hand through his hair. He’s been going through every task he could think of to calm himself down — doing the laundry, getting groceries, going to the gym, and even cooking all of his three meals and it’s led him to spent more time in the kitchen in the past few days than the last few months.

Maybe he’ll try to organize his closet today and after he’s done with that he could bring himself to think about what to say to Raquel again.

///

She still doesn’t have a dress to wear to the wedding.

The realization only came to her when she’s standing in front of her closet in only her towel, fresh out of her bath. After picking the most comfortable outfit she could find, she grabbed her laptop from her bag and headed downstairs to the living room.

Sitting on the couch, she sent a quick text to a few of her female friends and cousins, asking if they knew a place where she could buy a dress that she could wear at a wedding. Raquel then opened her laptop to find some inspiration on the internet for what she could wear.

She managed to find a few which matched her taste before her mother joined her in the room.

“Who’s getting married?” asked Marivi as she took a seat on the sofa right next to Raquel.

“Sergio’s brother, _mamá_.”

“Sergio? Isn’t he the same _friend_ you had dinner with yesterday?” Raquel continued to scroll through the seemingly endless rows upon rows of pictures showing outfit ideas for wedding guests that she stumbled upon, but she didn’t have to look at her mother to know that she was smirking.

“I’m only going to the wedding as his friend.” It might be difficult for her to say but it was true, even if she was to attend the wedding as a friend pretending to be his girlfriend.

“_Hija_,” her mother began, “Is there a reason why you don’t sound too happy about that?”

Raquel closed her laptop abruptly. “I think I’m going to cook lunch for today. It’s been days since the break started and you haven’t let me help in the kitchen at all.”

She then left for the kitchen without another word, leaving her mother more curious than ever.

///

Cooking lunch for her mother and herself was an effective distraction. She was so focused on not letting anything burn that she’s rid her mind of any speculation on why Sergio hasn’t spoken to her for days. While she received curious glances from her mother while she ate, their conversation topics steered clear of Sergio or the wedding. When she returned to the living room after doing the dishes, she saw several replies to her earlier text on her phone.

A number of them recommended to buy a dress online since it’s a cheaper option, but Raquel has always been wary of ordering clothes online because she doesn’t have the option to see if it fits before going through with the purchase.

Alicia just told her to get a dress at the mall. Despite her amusement with Alicia’s reply, Raquel planned to go make do with the shops at the mall if she didn’t have any other options. She just hoped that the mall nearest to her house at least had a decent selection of dresses so she won't end up with a dress she barely even liked.

Her cousin from Barcelona sent her a name and address of a boutique, saying that her friends living in Madrid seemed to swear by it. Typing the address of the boutique in the map app on her phone, Raquel found out that the place was more or less a half-hour drive from her house.

She sent them all a thank you text and devised her plan of action: She’ll check her options at the boutique her cousin recommended first and if that doesn’t work out, she’ll drive down the mall and find herself a dress there.

But it seemed like fate had other plans. As Raquel was on her way to her bedroom for a change of clothes, her phone beeped in her hand. She looked at her phone and found a text from none other than the person she wanted to hear from the most.

** _Do you already have a dress for the wedding?_ **

///

Sergio breathed out a sigh of relief when Raquel replied that she hasn’t bought a dress yet. It seemed like his text was just in time too as she was planning on going out to find her dress that afternoon. He quickly asked if he could come with her and reminded her that they agreed beforehand that he’ll be the one paying for her outfit for the wedding.

He sat on his bed, surrounded by the piles of neatly folded shirts, all arranged by color. In front of him, with the coat hanger in the handle of his closet door, was the suit he was going to the wedding.

Raquel took her time to reply and Sergio which only made him worried. What if she said no?

His worries melted away when his screen flashed to reveal a text from Raquel.

///

Raquel changed into a plain white shirt and a pair of jeans. After telling her mother who was out in the garden that she’ll be going out in a while to buy her dress for the wedding, she found herself sitting at the dining table, waiting for Sergio to arrive like a few days before.

It took Sergio 45 minutes to get to her house and Raquel had already opened the door before he had the opportunity to knock. As she took in his outfit of choice for the day — a navy blue polo shirt and jeans — Raquel almost forgets that she’s mildly upset with him (as if she hasn’t been distracted with his radio silence all morning.)

“Are you ready to go?” Sergio asked, and they’re both filled with a sense of deja vu.

///

The drive to the boutique took a shorter time than Raquel expected. They didn’t really have a chance to talk along the way since she was giving Sergio the directions along the way. Sergio parked in front of the boutique, which was located in a long street populated with all sorts of commercial establishments. The place itself was small and easy to miss if it weren’t for the sign that hung above the storefront. From the outside, passers-by could easily see that it was nicely-decorated space — white walls, rose-gold themed accents and decor, with a small chandelier completing the look.

When Sergio and Raquel entered the premises, they were greeted by a brunette woman who was arranging some dresses by color on one of the racks.

“Hi! How may I help you?” She said with a smile.

Raquel replied. “We’re looking for a dress for a wedding.”

“You’re just in time. A lot of the designers we worked with brought in new stock last week in preparation for the summer weddings to come. Are you looking for anything specific? Like a specific color or silhouette?”

Raquel looked around the racks of dresses that lined half of the perimeter of the store. It seemed like she had so many different options and she didn’t know where to start.

“Are there any dresses you can recommend?” She asked.

“Is it a day or an evening wedding?” Raquel turned to Sergio for an answer since the detail escaped her mind when she read the invitation a few weeks back.

“It’s an evening wedding,” Sergio supplied.

“Ooh, evening wedding…” Carmen, as written in her nametag, lead Sergio and Raquel to the other side of the store.

“We have all our long dresses here. We also have long skirts if you want to try those instead.”

Raquel then perused the rack with Carmen’s assistance while Sergio patiently waited at the side.

///

A few of the dresses were a ‘no’ from the get-go. Either Raquel thought that the color didn’t match her skin tone well or she wasn’t a fan of a certain detail of the dress. She tried her best not to blush profusely as Carmen suggested a dark blue satin dress with a slit that would certainly show a lot of her leg and _more_ due to her height.

In the end, Raquel ended up with a short-list comprised of three dresses. Carmen pointed Raquel to the direction of the dressing room and Raquel called out to Sergio who found his way to one of the loveseats in the store while he waited for her to pick out a dress to try on.

“Aren’t you coming?” The words were out of Raquel’s mouth before she could give them a second thought.

Sensing his surprise, Raquel added: “You.. you’re paying for the dress and I thought that I’d get your opinion on them if that’s okay with you?”

///

The intimacy of the moment is not lost to Raquel just as she’d stripped down to her underwear while Sergio leaned against the opposite wall of the dressing room, waiting for her.

In the years that she was with her now ex-husband, even when they were still dating, she never had a moment like this with Alberto.

But it’s not in her place to think about the moment as it was, so she brushed the thoughts away. Raquel then repeatedly told herself that she simply wanted Sergio’s opinion on the dresses to help her decide and to give him a bit of a say on it since he was paying after all.

///

The first of her choices that she tried on is a forest green dress with a wrap front that comes down into a layered skirt. The long sleeves are sheer and tie cuffed at the wrist.

“Looking at it now, I don’t think the color fits me that well. I really like the dress itself though.”

Truth be told, Sergio didn’t know a thing about women’s fashion. His personal style consists of finding what works and sticking with it. Hence, he rarely wears anything but a suit especially when he’s teaching.

“It looks… pretty.” He offered. Sergio could hear Raquel’s soft chuckle as she closed the dressing door behind her to change into the next dress.

///

The second dress is in dark pink, with thin straps, a pleated skirt, and a drawstring waist.

“It’s pretty but it’s too casual. It could be something I’d just wear on the weekend.”

“I think so too.” Sergio confidently agreed with Raquel before she changed into the last dress she picked out.

///

Raquel didn’t say anything when she opened the door of the dressing room again and Sergio can’t bring himself to speak either.

The last was a reddish pink dress, with a v collar and split sleeves. It was layered with chiffon all over, tied at the waist, with the skirt draping down from Raquel’s waist.

“What do you think?” Raquel asked, almost shyly.

“It’s… it’s really beautiful.” Sergio cleared his throat. “You look beautiful.”

She looked exceptionally beautiful in the other dresses too, but maybe it was the fact that her eyes shone with excitement for the dress that compelled him this time to say it.

Raquel bit on her lip and Sergio could feel himself getting lost in her gaze.

“Do you like it?” Sergio asked tentatively.

“I.. I love it.”

“Looks like we found the dress then.”

///

Carmen rang up the dress and Sergio handed her his credit card.

“It’s a wonderful choice,” she said, removing the price tag of the dress before placing it inside a white shopping bag with the logo of the store. “You and your wife have good taste. Here you go, señor.”

Sergio’s eyes widened. “We… we’re not married.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t–”

He shook his head. “It’s all right. No harm done.”

Raquel then emerged from the dressing room area as if on cue.

“Let’s go? I already have your dress here.” Sergio raised the shopping bag that he was holding.

Raquel nodded and after they’ve said their thanks to Carmen, the two exited the store.

“Do you want to get iced coffee? I saw a cafe a while ago and it’s getting hot.” Sergio suggested as they stepped foot outside and Raquel wholeheartedly agreed.

///

An iced latte for Raquel and an iced americano for Sergio.

Before Sergio could even think about getting his wallet from his pocket, Raquel already paid for their order in cash.

“Raquel…”

“What?” She feigned innocence as they waited for her change.

“I suggested that we should get coffee. I should’ve been the one who paid,” Sergio insisted.

“Come on,” Raquel resisted the urge to roll her eyes, “You paid for my dress. Let me at least pay for the drinks.”

While Sergio wasn’t happy about it, he let her be.

///

The two opted to get a table inside the cafe so they could take advantage of the airconditioning.

In her haste in the dressing room a while ago, Raquel didn’t get the chance to check the price tag on the dress she ended up picking before Sergio paid for it. Based on the figures she saw on the first two dresses, it was far from being inexpensive so since they were seated, Raquel hasn’t stopped questioning Sergio about it.

“At least give me a clue on how much it costs.”

“I won’t tell you anything.” Sergio smirked.

“Even a hint?”

Sergio shook his head. “If I tell you even a hint, there’s no guarantee that you won’t force me to let you pay me back. I can’t have you sneaking past me and sending me money through PayPal either.”

Raquel groaned. “Not even a range?”

“No. Nevermind the price tag too. I made sure Carmen removed it before she put the dress in the bag.”

Raquel finally conceded and Sergio couldn’t help the slight laugh that escaped him because of the expression she had on her face.

“What are you laughing about?” Raquel asked in an annoyed tone.

“You were pouting.”

She gave him an incredulous look. “_I don’t pout_.”

“It sure looked like it from where I was sitting.”

Raquel gave Sergio a playful glare before a more serious look appeared on her face. Based on his behavior, Raquel could at least confirm that Sergio wasn’t upset at her. She might have already deduced that when he asked her if he could come with her today.

Still, it doesn’t make sense to her that he disappeared from her since they had dinner with Andres and Agata when she was under the impression that that night ended well for the both of them.

“I won’t ask about the price of the dress anymore,” she started, “Because I’m just glad to see you again after last Friday.” Raquel deliberately avoided his eyes, choosing to focus on the condensation that has long formed on the outside of her glass.

Sergio instantly knew that his silence for the past few days has upset her and became even more disappointed in himself. He's been caught up in thinking of the right words to say that he's failed to consider what Raquel might felt.

"Raquel, I want you to know that it wasn’t my intention to not reach out to you for the last few days.”

Raquel lifted her eyes to meet his and he continued.

“It was the opposite. After we’ve said goodbye at your house, all I could think about is what you said that night and all the things I wanted to tell you.”

Raquel took an unsteady breath. “Then why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn't know where to start,” Sergio sighed and clasped both of his hands together in front of him on the table. "I didn't know exactly _what_ to say. On top of that, I was so nervous because I just didn't want to mess up." 

“So what happened today that made you finally reach out to me?”

“I saw the suit that I was going to wear for the wedding in my closet then I remembered telling you when we first agreed to pretend to be together for Andres’s wedding that I should at least pay for your dress. I took a chance when I texted you awhile ago.”

Raquel smiled despite her mixed emotions. “Today would have been very different if I already got my dress, don’t you think?”

“It would have.” Sergio sighed.

“Well, I’m glad that we cleared that up now. I really thought that I misinterpreted you that night to the point that I pushed you away. Imagine kissing someone on the cheek goodnight and not hearing from them for days.” Raquel let out a nervous laugh.

“I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine now.” Raquel gave Sergio’s clasped hands on the table a reassuring squeeze.

“Are you really sure about what you said that night? About saying yes if I asked you out on a date?” Sergio asked hesitantly.

“I’m completely sure.”

“If that’s the case,” Sergio began, “What do you think about going out for drinks tomorrow night?”

///

It was almost sunset when they arrived back at Raquel’s house.

The sky has shifted from vibrant blue to a mix of pink, orange, and yellow.

Raquel admired the view from the passenger seat along the drive when she wasn’t busy admiring her view of the driver, of course.

Meanwhile, Sergio kept his eyes trained on the road.

_Safety first._ He reminded himself. But when traffic slowed down and at the red light, he allowed himself to lock eyes with Raquel before putting his foot on the gas again.

When they were already safely parked in front of her house, Raquel was slightly disappointed despite the promise that they’ll see each other tomorrow.

Sergio spoke when they reached her front door. “See you tomorrow?”

“Please. I hope that I do see you tomorrow and you won’t disappear on me again.” Raquel teased.

Sergio chuckled. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Raquel.” If he was being completely honest with himself, Sergio didn’t want the day to end just yet.

“Do you want to come inside? Maybe join us for dinner later?” Raquel looked at him in anticipation.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Raquel’s brows furrowed, as she asked: “Why is that?”

“I don’t want to spoil tomorrow night,” Sergio pushed his eyeglasses back up the bridge of his nose. Raquel was going to call him out about it, but Sergio spoke before she could.

“But.. there is something I want to do before I go.”

Sergio swore that the world has gone silent except for the sound of his own heartbeat.

With his right hand reaching up to cup Raquel’s check, Sergio leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As before, thank you to everyone who's read/wrote a comment/gave the fic a kudos. I really appreciate it! 
> 
> An exciting chapter awaits us, titled The Date. After that we only have the final chapter, titled The Wedding. I'm not sure yet, but the final chapter might be divided into two chapters... We're nearing the end and I would just like to thank everyone who supported this fic so far :) 
> 
> And is anybody interested in an epilogue? 😆


	8. The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sergio and Raquel follow through Andres's advice and Raquel accepts an invitation with a more honest premise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Depending on where you are in the world, this might be the last chapter in 2019 or the first one of 2020. Either way, I hope you enjoy it ❤❤❤ 
> 
> Before we go on, I would just like to share that this show, as well as Sergio and Raquel, is one of many unexpected joys I've discovered this year. I got into reading fanfic about the ship shortly after I was done watching season 2 but it took me quite some time to actually get into writing fanfic myself. I'm really glad that I did because this fic had been such a great stress reliever for me in my 2nd to the last semester in uni (even if I was kinda stressed when I didn't follow through the update schedule I set for myself haha) and seeing people's response to the fic and responding to your comments brings me so much joy 😁 The story isn't perfect but I'm glad that it you liked it. I promise that I'll do better in the future but thank you so much to everyone. I hope the coming year is kind to all of us! *coughs* LCDP4 *coughs*
> 
> A warning before you proceed: this chapter contains a lot of fluff (or what I consider as fluff 😅) but the rating is definitely a strong T, if you know what I mean. 
> 
> Without further a do, here is the second to the last chapter of The Wedding Date.

Sergio pulled away from the kiss before Raquel could even respond. Her eyes fluttered open and Sergio whispered against her lips: "Is that okay?"

"More than okay." Raquel tugged at the collar of his shirt, pulling him down for another that started with the softness of the first, only to evolve into something slower and more passionate. It didn't take long for Raquel's hands to be lost in Sergio's hair and for Sergio's hands to find their way to both sides of her waist as he unknowingly pulled Raquel even closer.

For a few moments, they allowed themselves to be lost in the kiss: No more insecurities. No more worries. No more doubt. Just Sergio and Raquel.

While Sergio would do absolutely anything in the world just so they can stay as they were, he reminded himself that they were in outside of her house, where everyone can see (He's especially mortified by the idea of being interrupted by her mother.) Aside from that, he did promise a tomorrow and that was a promise he intended to keep.

So reluctantly, Sergio pulled away but kept his forehead touching hers.

"I have to go," he didn't want to sound regretful but he was. He _wanted_ to stay.

"I know. If you don't go now, I can't promise that I won't drag you inside with me," teased Raquel, making the two of them chuckle.

Sergio stole one last kiss on her lips before saying his goodbye for the day.

///

"Is everything all right, hija?"

She knew that she's been leaning against their front door for a few good minutes since she went inside. Raquel could only imagine the view her mother had before Marivi's voice snapped her back into reality: her left arm clutching the shopping bag of her dress to her chest and the fingers of right hand ever so lightly touching her lips.

She must've looked so lost that her mother sounded slightly worried.

Raquel offered her mother a reassuring smile. "Everything's fine, mama."

///

_Tomorrow_ came as they promised. Raquel had every intention to look sexy that night just because she wanted to when she picked out the low-cut, pink top with a blazer on top to pair with her leather skirt so it almost made her laugh in the most endearing way, to see him in a suit in a bar of all places.

It did make him easy to spot, sitting on one of the stools in front of the bar, since the other patrons that night wore much more _relaxed_ clothes compared to him, but despite that, Raquel knew that she could spot those eyeglasses and that hair from a mile away.

The times they've seen each other during the summer break must've spoiled her of seeing him in different outfits different from his usual suit and tie.

She's not complaining though. Instead, seeing him like this makes her feel grounded. Seeing him like this reminded her that despite the pace of the recent changes in their relationship, he was Sergio as much as she was still Raquel. And... the sight of Sergio in a suit was easy on the eyes. She wasn't ashamed of admitting that now.

///

Sergio saw her approach his spot at the bar and his smile is infectious. He stood up from his seat and adjusted his tie.

When Raquel is at the bar and they're standing face to face, unlike all the other times they've met each other, he greets her with a kiss. Sergio couldn't help but smile against her lips and Raquel does the same - everything is so _new_ but it was something they both could definitely get used to.

///

The absence of the Friday or a weekend night crowd provided them the luxury of having choosing whatever table they wanted without getting ugly looks from the bar's other customers. Sergio led them to a table that is meant to seat 4 just so they can sit on the same side, right next to each other.

Once they were seated, it was safe to say that they were both bombarded with a mix of emotions - nervousness, disbelief, excitement, anticipation... among others.

It didn't occur to the two of them that they're looking at one another without saying a word for a while until Raquel broke their gaze as she chuckled.

Cupping Sergio's face with both her hands, Raquel spoke in almost a whisper: "Who would've thought that we'd end up here?"

"Feels a little crazy, doesn't it?" Sergio replied and she nodded, "It's my fault that we took this long. If only I followed my brother's advice..."

Raquel shook her head.

"Sergio." She began with a stern voice. "There's no point in taking all the blame when I wasn't the most... _forward_ with my feelings. And believe me, _my feelings were there._"

Her admission caught them both by surprise and for a split second Raquel was terrified.

While the kiss they've shared in front of her house yesterday was an indicator that Sergio felt something for her as she did for him, was it to soon to put the fact that she's had those feelings for some time now into words?

She searched his eyes and her heart skipped a beat as surprised turned into joy and a hint of that _something_ she saw when they said goodbye after dinner with Andres and Agata. Immediately, Raquel is flooded with relief.

"Let's order our drinks, yes? We haven't had a drop of alcohol and I already have a loose tongue." Releasing her hold on Sergio, Raquel called for a waiter while Sergio softly laughed beside her

After their waiter left, they were along again while they were waited for their margaritas to arrive.

Sergio spoke, "Is it just me, but we've been friends for quite some time now and we've been spending a lot of time together that this almost doesn't feel like a first date?"

"You're right." A slight laugh escaped Raquel's lips. "It's almost as if our Tuesdays and Thursdays at Hanoi were practice for tonight."

"Wow. We practiced for a long time then. I hope we get everything right." Sergio's playful tone made Raquel nudge him slightly in the stomach with her elbow.

"You're such a tease. Should I remind you that eating lunch together was your idea?" She prevented herself from chuckling as she saw Sergio's cheeks turn red.

"I didn't have any ulterior motive when I asked. We were talking about our schedules then and since the gap between our classes in the afternoon overlapped I thought that it was a good idea. Well, I _might_ have asked because deep inside I wanted to spend time with you and—"

Raquel placed a hand on Sergio's arm, effectively stopping him from rambling.

"I was just teasing you. I said yes, remember? You didn't have to force me or anything to eat lunch with you. And, I wanted to spend time with you too."

Sergio felt the heat in his cheeks intensify.

///

"There was a time that I thought that we'd stop seeing each other for lunch."

Raquel puts down her margarita. "And when was that?"

Sergio took a generous sip of his drink. "When you said that you we're going to dinner with the law professor..."

"Oh." Raquel's eyes faltered. "Well, I'm not proud of what happened with Mario but I think you deserve an explanation."

Sergio shook his head saying, "Raquel, you don't have to explain anything to _me_."

"Sergio, that involved you more than you know." Her eyes were briefly focused on her drink as she swirled the glass with one hand before returning them to Sergio. "And since we're _here_, we should start being completely honest with one another so we can move forward with no more worries, don't you think?"

The thought of moving forward with Raquel sent a warm feeling swirling in Sergio's chest. He nodded slowly, and Raquel continued.

"I already told you the story. I met him when I was with Alicia. We went out for dinner a few times... then I ended it before it turned into something." It was Raquel's time to take a generous gulp of margarita as she's starting to regret her decision.

"I never told anyone the reason why I went out with him in the first place. The truth was... I was scared. By then I've caught my self falling for you. I never thought that you felt the same way. I thought that my feelings would get in the way of what we already had so I wanted to run from them."

Sergio took her hand in his when he saw her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

"Looking back... that was really selfish of me, wasn't it?"

"Raquel..." Sergio laced his fingers with hers. "I have to tell you something too. I didn't ask you out when Andres told me too because even if I wanted too, I thought you only saw me as a friend."

Sergio took a deep breath and Raquel tightened her hold on her hand.

He continued. "And back when I told you that Andrés was getting married again, even before my cousin called to tell me that she wanted to set me up with one of my friends, I wanted to ask you to come to the wedding as my date."

Sergio felt a lump in his throat. "I didn't because of the same fear that you had – I didn't think you would've said yes because it never occurred to me that you felt the same way. I didn't want to ruin our friendship with any indication that I felt something for you. I can't even tell you how terrified I was when I ended up inviting you anyway so I can keep up with the lie I told my cousin."

Raquel felt her eyes sting with tears again and she tried her best to blink them away. "_God..._, how can we be so blind?"

They shared a laugh at their own expense and it felt like a release from the truths that have come to light, like a breath of fresh air.

"I hate it to admit it, but it seems like we wouldn't make it here if it wasn't for my brother."

Raquel chuckled. "_Uh huh._ He really set us on the right track didn't he? If he didn't get engaged to Agata... maybe we wouldn't be here."

Sergio groaned. "My brother should never find out about that or else he's never going to let me live it down."

In the moment that Sergio became temporarily distracted of the idea of owing the recent changes in their relationship, Raquel withdrew her hand from his grasp.

"As much as I am grateful for Andres, there's plenty of chances to thank him, but not tonight." Raquel tried to keep her voice as neutral as she could but the way her eyes were trained on his lips caused Sergio's pulse to quicken.

Without missing another beat, Raquel spoke. "_Sergio, I want you to kiss me._"

Sergio's lips broke into a grin matching hers before meeting her halfway in a kiss that's akin to the revelation of the feelings they've kept from each other for too long that started just moments ago.

Sergio smiled in between kisses. "Just so we're clear." said Sergio while trying to calm his breathing down, "I'm in love with you, Raquel."

Raquel pulled him close by his tie before speaking the words against his lips. "That's good to know because I'm in love with you too."

When she drew Sergio close to put her lips on his again, the bar slowly blurred then disappeared around them.

///

They were both breathing heavily when they eventually pulled away.

Raquel bit her lip at the sight of the mess that her fingers made of Sergio's hair and said, "We should go." She couldn't help herself from smiling as ran her fingers through his hair a few times to smooth it down.

Without calling for a waiter to ask for their bill, Sergio slipped a €100 bill underneath his glass and the two left the bar hand in hand.

///

It seemed as if the taxi driver was driving at least 5 km/h below the speed limit, because Raquel never been in a car ride this excruciatingly slow.

She tried to focus on the positives: after they've settled that they _definitely_ weren't going home to her house, Sergio assured her that his apartment building was only around 20 minutes away.

She's silently hoping that without the rush hour traffic that they would make it in less time.

_Breathe in. Breathe out._ She reminded herself in an effort to calm herself down.

Right next to her, Sergio tried to focus his attention on anything else than the feel of Raquel's lips against his own.

The tail lights of the car in front of them. The storefronts they quickly passed by. The back of the headrest of the passenger seat right in front of him.

It was an impossible task of course since the taxi smelled of her perfume and it's almost as if any other sensation he felt on his body was being drowned out by the feeling of her warm hand resting against his thigh.

_Deep breaths_, he thought as he tried to will himself to wait as patiently as he could for the familiar view of his apartment building.

It couldn't be _that_ long.

///

The taxi slowed into a stop at a red light. And then there was a _spark_.

The air inside the taxi is charged, and in a fraction of a second that their eyes meet in a sideways glance, Raquel wrapped her arms around Sergio's neck while his hands were lost in her hair.

They kissed repeatedly before Raquel climbed onto Sergio's lap and bit his bottom lip. Sergio could've sworn that he saw stars behind his eyes.

///

The sound of their taxi driver clearing his throat made the two of them jump.

Sergio briefly looked outside the window while Raquel extracted herself from his lap.

They were too _busy_ to notice that they were already in front of his apartment.

Sergio reached for his wallet but Raquel was already handing the driver a €20 and muttering an apology along the way.

///

He barely had the time to press 9 among the elevator buttons before Raquel pulled him into one of the corners of the elevator. What remained of their embarrassment from the taxi ride faded almost instantly when she tugged at the lapels of his suit and their lips locked again shortly after.

The numbers on the display right above the elevator doors are unnoticed as they changed.

1\. 2. 3. 4. 5 —

Sergio's hand came up to stop Raquel from loosening his tie even further.

"Raquel, much as I would like you to continue... I'd like to keep _all_ my clothes on until we're inside of my apartment."

Raquel giggled and leaned her head against his shoulder.

6... 7... 8... _9._

///

The mood shifted as they set foot inside Sergio's apartment.

The urgency is lost and kisses slowed and hands roamed with every intention to _explore_.

Sergio carefully pulled down the zipper of Raquel's skirt and she stepped out of it as soon as it pooled on the floor without breaking the kiss. While her hands were quick to reach for Sergio's tie in the elevator, she took her time in between kisses to tackle an article of clothing one at a time.

Suit jacket first, then the belt. She looked at him straight in the eye as she undid his tie but pulled him in again before her fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt one by one.

Of course, Raquel made sure to save his eyeglasses for last.

///

Right after Sergio's bedroom door closed behind them, the rest of the night vanished in dark blue sheets.

///

Morning came and as the evening before, everything is new but everything also felt _right_.

Raquel woke first, as the sunlight had started to peer through the curtains of the window. She is immediately reminded of the fact that she wasn't in her own bed when she's temporarily blinded by the light and the fact that she woke up flushed against Sergio's side with one of his arms wrapped around her.

After her eyes have adjusted to her surroundings, she raised her hand that was resting on Sergio's chest to trace the line of his jaw. She marveled at how peaceful as he looked as he slept and like the previous night, it still amused her that he looked so different with glasses off.

She pressed a kiss to his jaw and Sergio's eyes slowly drifted open.

"_Good morning_," he said with half-shut eyes.

"Good morning to you too." Raquel snuggled closer to his side and Sergio placed a kiss on the crown of her head.

"Did you sleep well?"

Raquel hummed in approval. "I did."

Sergio took pride in being an early-riser but something about Raquel's warmth was lulling him back to sleep.

"I don't know if this is me going to fast..." It took Raquel more than a second to catch the hint of mischief almost lost in the sleepiness in his voice. "But my brother is getting married on Saturday. If you're not busy, would you like to come with me... as my date?"

"_I'd love to._" Sergio smiled at her words before surrendering to sleep once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I would like to thank everyone who's read/commented/left a kudos! Happy New Year, wherever you may be! See you in the next chapter at the wedding 🤵👰


	9. The Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andres and Agata tie the knot and Raquel meets the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can count the number of weddings I've been to with one hand so I definitely had to put it some time to read up on weddings for this one. It's not a traditional wedding but I still had some fun and put it some traditions here and there 😉
> 
> A little fun fact, the house in Toledo in the show is in fact a popular wedding venue. It's not in Toledo but in Madrid though 😅
> 
> Anyways... a many roadblocks (missing files, lack of motivation, etc.), I'm happy to present to you all the last chapter of the wedding date
> 
> *sniffles*

Sergio buttoned his white long-sleeved shirt in front of the mirror before retrieving the tie on the dresser next to his left. He looked at his reflection as his fingers worked on the knot. He only bought the tie yesterday and it's a stand-out compared to the blacks and the greys he already had in his tie drawer. After his tie, he proceeded to put on his charcoal vest and the matching suit jacket then combing his hair once more.

Someone might confuse him for the groom considering the cocktail of emotions that he felt.

He took a deep breath to steady himself and tried to redirect his emotions.

It's been a while since he's been this hopeful that his brother's marriage might actually _work_ then there's the ever confusing mix of nervousness and excitement and it's all because of Raquel.

It's been a blissful couple of days since their date and she's invited him for lunch at her house yesterday where he had the pleasure of meeting her mother. He's _happy_, yet part of him is still in a state of disbelief that they share the same feelings for one another and even though they're attending the wedding _together_ now, there's still a part of him that hasn't reconciled with the thought of Raquel meeting his family.

He examined his reflection in the mirror one last time before taking a seat on his bed. He retrieved his phone on the nightstand then opened up his conversation with Raquel. For a short while, he's distracted by their exchanges for the past few days before he coming back to his intended purpose of telling her that he's about to leave his apartment.

///

The dress is still as beautiful as Raquel remembered it to be when she looked at her reflection in the mirror. The color of the fabric sits in between red and dark pink and as someone who mainly shopped for clothes in neutral colors, it's not her usual pick but the dress charmed her with its design and how well it fit her frame.

She sat on her vanity where she finished up the rest of her look. Raquel opted to style her hair in a bun again but leaving out a few strands on both sides of her face. She was just about done with lightly curling the strands she left out with her curling iron when her phone screen lit up with a message from Sergio informing her that he's on his way. She set the curling iron and glanced at the time displayed at the screen. Despite having plenty of time, she finished her make-up in less than fifteen minutes. Raquel placed all of her essentials in a silver clutch purse and went downstairs.

At this point, waiting for Sergio to arrive while seated at the same seat at the dining table was starting to feel like a ritual.

She's still as nervous as she was since she waited for Sergio to pick her up for the first time. However, it's not for the same reason she would've expected a week ago, back when she and Sergio planned to pretend to be together for the wedding.

Now the plan has changed. Raquel wasn't worried about making Sergio uncomfortable at the wedding. She's not worried about putting up a convincing performance so that Sergio's family would finally stop their attempts to have him married either.

Her mind dangerously skirted around the thought that Sergio's family might not like her and the thought kept popping in and out of her head ever since she was about to go to sleep last night.

She didn't put too much attention on what people thought about her, but it must have been her nervousness that had her nitpicking at every part of herself, from the piercing on her nose, her divorce, and even her _job_. Her rational side insisted that the likelihood that his family would flat out dislike her and she might as well started believing it.

///

She opened the door just as he's walking up the steps in front of her house again.

"Hello," greeted Raquel before she kissed him softly on the lips.

"You look _amazing,_" said Sergio.

"Same to you." Raquel ran her hands down the lapels of Sergio's suit but stopped when she noticed the color of his tie matched her dress almost perfectly.

"New tie?" She asked with one eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"I bought it yesterday on my way home. Are you ready to go?"

Raquel nodded before locking up the house behind her.

"Is your mother not around?"

"Mamá is at her friend's house for the afternoon." Raquel linked her arm with Sergio's before they started to walk to his car. Raquel thought back to yesterday's lunch where she'd invited Sergio to join her and her mother. It surprised her that he'd even agree to the invitation. What didn't surprise her, however, was her fondness of Sergio. That didn't mean he was safe from Marivi's teasing remarks as Raquel had called her mother out multiple times that had her and Sergio blushing during their meal.

Sergio opened the passenger side door and Raquel got in.

The house in Toledo is more or less an hour and a half drive from Raquel's place. They're driving up a little early so Sergio could at least be with his Andres for a while before the ceremony started.

Sergio gave Raquel full control of the music for the ride. She connected her phone to the car stereo and they listened to the wide array of songs she had on her phone.

A wide grin appeared on Sergio's lips when Van Morrison's _Brown Eyed Girl_ came on shuffle and Raquel started to sing along.

"You never told me you could sing," Sergio said as he started to drum his fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the song.

"I used to sing in a band when I was in college."

"_Really?_"

"Uh-huh_._"

Sergio glanced at Raquel just in time to catch the mischievous look in her eyes before he returned his attention to the road. "Don't worry too much about it, though. I still have _a lot_ of talents you can still discover."

His shock almost had him miss a turn.

///

Raquel had a feeling that something was off when Sergio took a right turn from the main road where all of the houses were into a narrower road surrounded by trees.

Five minutes into the drive, a large open gate came and a chalkboard welcome sign for the wedding guests came into view.

"We're here," Sergio announced enthusiastically. In her curiosity, Raquel looked back at the road they just passed. Was that just supposed to be a driveway into the house?

Once Sergio's car crossed the open gate, to say that Raquel was surprised was an understatement. Two-stories high, with large windows, constructed in granite – the house looked like it came straight out of the many wedding magazines she went through when she was planning her wedding years ago.

Thinking back to the when she read Sergio's address on the wedding invitation, it now made perfect sense.

Andres waved at them from the open doors of the house, already dressed in a black three-piece suit. Sergio waved back before taking a left to the parking area at the side of the house. Before Raquel lost sight of Andres, a blonde woman in a green dress carrying a baby appeared right next to him.

"You never told me you lived in an actual mansion," Raquel imitated his surprised tone earlier.

"It's a family home," Sergio replied, slightly defensive – it's the best reason he thought at the moment to explain the size of their house. "It was just dad, Andres, and me most of the time but the rest of the family was welcomed to stay with us anytime they want." He moved to retrieve his wedding present from the backseat, which was in an impeccably wrapped rectangular box. "Dad said he wanted us to have a big garden to play in back then but only Andres and my cousins got to have fun with it because I was a pretty sickly child."

Raquel walked to Sergio's side of the car and asked, "Do you come home here often?"

"I come home on the weekends if I'm not busy with work and if I'm not teaching for the summer semester, I spend most of the break here. Same for the winter break."

Sergio held Raquel's hand as they started to walk back to the house and Raquel glanced inquisitively at Sergio's gift.

"What's inside?"

"A bottle of my brother's wine and an _envelope_." Sergio seemed especially proud as he mentioned the envelope which had Raquel intrigued.

"What's in the envelope?"

"Two European cruise tickets leaving Berlin next week."

"_Wow._ But why Berlin?"

"I might have asked Andres where they'll be going after the wedding. Told me they'll be spending a few days in Berlin to see the sights but they still haven't decided where in Europe to go to next the week after."

"Are your wedding gifts always this grand?"

"No." Sergio shook his head laughing. "Andres has been married five times, Raquel. I might have burned through my savings at this point. I usually just stick with the wine."

Raquel was going to ask what had changed, but she remembered their conversation in his car after their dinner with the couple.

///

"It's good to see you both." Andres greeted them both with a hug. He eyed the box Sergio tucked under his left arm. "That better be what I think it is. My supply is starting to run low."

Sergio shrugged. "You'd be surprised this time."

Andres opened his mouth to say something but Sergio already turned to Monica.

"How are you? And how's our Cincinnati?" Sergio gave his cousin a side hug as Monica carried her son on one arm.

"We're fine. This little on here..." Monica turned Cincinnati so he was facing Sergio. "...is growing bigger and bigger every day."

Cincinnati giggled at his uncle, reaching for Sergio's eyeglasses. Monica was quick to thwart his son's attempt. "Cinci... what did mama say about touching _tio's_ glasses?"

The adults, minus Monica, smiled as Monica's short lecture was only met by Cincinnati's giggles.

Monica's eyes left her son and were now on Raquel. "Sergio... aren't you going to introduce us to Raquel?"

Monica referring to Raquel by her name took both Sergio and Raquel by surprise. Sergio swiftly recovered and said: "Raquel, this is my cousin Monica and this little one here is her son, Cincinnati."

"Hello, Monica. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. I think almost everyone in the family is as excited as I am to meet you."

"_Everyone?_ What do you mean?" Raquel is slightly comforted that Sergio was as surprised as she was. Meanwhile, Andres and Monica exchanged guilty looks.

"You know that news travels fast in the family, Sergio." Andres started. "Why don't we all go inside? You two should get some of the wine they have at the bar."

///

The house is beautifully decorated in the inside with various arrangements of pink and white flowers as well as sheer fabric elegantly draped at the entryways and the windows. Raquel marveled at the sight and noticed that without the wedding decorations, the house would've still looked splendid.

Monica excused herself to find her husband. Leaving Sergio and Raquel alone with Andres.

The three crossed the foyer, entering what seemed to be the formal dining room of the house before they moved all the furniture to accommodate the dining tables for the guests. Raquel peered through the doors on both sides of the fireplace to their right and what she could only guess to be the formal living room also had the same fate.

The exited the through the double doors that led to the back garden where some of the guests and it was a beautiful sight. The decoration followed the same motif as the inside of the house and as the sun was about to set, the entire outdoor area was lit by numerous string lights that hung above them.

Sergio and Raquel's eyes traveled to the space they've set up for the ceremony when Andres spoke.

"The bar's there and they'll be setting up the DJ booth there later as well. If the two of you would like some drinks, there's nothing wrong with a little wine before a wedding, don't you think," Andres pointed at the opposite direction of the garden where a bar and a few tables were set up and winked.

Sergio rolled his eyes. "_Andres, don't tell us you're drunk._"

Andres raised his hands. "I didn't have a drop of alcohol. _I swear._"

Monica's voice called for Andres from the foyer. "Andres? The judge is already here."

///

It's not a traditional ceremony of any sort and Raquel guessed that it might have something to do that it's Andres's sixth wedding. Raquel joined Sergio in the front row. Together with the other guests, they marveled at the sight of Agata as she appeared with her mother by her side at the doorway of the house leading to the garden.

Her dress is surprisingly simple, a satin slip dress. In her hands was a bouquet of pink and white roses, peonies, and hydrangeas and she's without a veil.

As Agata joined Andres at the wedding arch, Sergio watched as they shared a tearful smile before the judge asked all the guests to settle down and the ceremony promptly began.

///

"_By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now seal this declaration with a kiss_."

The guests erupted in applause as Andres and Agata shared a kiss that no one could describe as shy.

Sergio knew that he's not the type of person to be emotional at a wedding. However, he didn't deny the warmth in his chest that urged him to drop a kiss on Raquel's cheek while she's still clapping.

///

They joined the other guests for cocktails before dinner.

Sergio and Raquel both had a glass of wine in hand when Silene _attacked_ Sergio with a hug. If he wasn't any careful, he would've dropped his glass on the grass. Silene is grinning slyly when she pulled back.

"I didn't know you're coming home. When did you fly in from Tokyo?"

"My flight just arrived this morning. You know I never missed one of Andres's weddings. I'm especially inclined to attend this one."

"Why is that?"

"I have my reasons and besides..."

Silene trailed off and shifted her attention to Raquel.

"I supposed you're Sergio's girlfriend?"

Silene smirked as she examined Raquel from the head to toe. Sergio swallowed, as Raquel straightened her back and met Silene's scrutinizing gaze without a word.

Of course, Silene couldn't help but be her _charming_ self in front of Raquel. Sergio thought to himself.

"Silene," he warned. "What are you–"

"It's nice to meet you, _Raquel._"

If Raquel was surprised by the fact that members of Sergio's family already knew her by name, she didn't let on.

She's about to put her guard down when Silene had surprised her by pulling into a hug that's almost as fierce as the one she'd given Sergio earlier.

"I'm Silene. Your boyfriend's cousin."

Silene turned to Sergio again when pulled away from Raquel. "Andres called me from across the globe at five in the morning just to tell me that he just had dinner with your new girlfriend."

_Andres_. Sergio and Raquel could only guess that Monica also found about Raquel through him.

"He's unbelievable. I know he's at least aware of the time difference between Japan and Madrid. He called me around noon when he told me he's engaged!"

Sergio was well aware that his brother never grew out of antagonizing Silene from time to time but he wasn't going to remind her about it now.

Silene crossed her arms in front of her. "You're really pretty huh. I'm no longer disappointed that Sergio didn't bring back a French girlfriend when he studied in France back then."

Sergio shot her a glare. "_Silene–_"

"I know he studied in France, but he's barely shared anything from that experience with me and none of the stories I heard from him involved any French women," Raquel challenged and Sergio couldn't believe his ears.

"Don't worry, Raquel. Agata put us in the same table. You can ask me everything about this _profesor_ during dinner."

///

Dinner was luxurious and the dessert bar was something both Raquel and Sergio enjoyed.

However, as Silene took it upon to herself to "talk" to Raquel while they ate, everything Sergio put on his plate suddenly became a choking hazard.

They were quietly sipping on their cava after eating dinner when Monica tapped on Sergio's shoulder and said, "Sergio? It looks like the rest of the family wants to meet Raquel."

She offered the two of them a reassuring smile before returning to her seat at the table next to Ricardo. Sergio and Raquel shared a look before they made their way to the table where most of Sergio's aunts and uncles were seated. As they walked, Raquel laced her fingers with Sergio and the gesture didn't go unnoticed as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

///

"It's been a while, _hijo_. How have you been?" Sergio's aunt Luisa left her seat at the table to greet Sergio with a hug which he enthusiastically returned. Raquel let go of his hand and was watching the two interact from the side. She's mentioned

"I'm doing well Tia," Sergio replied, silently hoping that his aunt wouldn't notice his raging pulse.

"From what I heard, you're doing more than _well_." The woman released Sergio from her embrace to turn to Raquel with a warm smile and Raquel found her self smiling back.

Sergio took a few seconds to register what his aunt just said before taking the clue.

"Tia Luisa, this is my date, Raquel. Raquel this is my Tia Luisa. She's our dad's younger sister and Monica's mother."

"You're a beauty, _hija._" Sergio's aunt kissed both Raquel's cheeks. "Come, there's a lot of people here who would love to meet you," she said, ushering Sergio and Raquel to their table.

///

"Tell us about yourself, Raquel. What do you do for a living?"

"For a long time, I worked in a private practice as a psychologist. I quit a few years ago to teach in Lisbon but now I teach at the same university as Sergio."

"A _profesora_ to our _profesor_? Who would've thought!"

The entire table chuckled, and based on the looks on their faces, Sergio knew that this was the exact moment that the family fell in love with Raquel.

///

They're surrounded by aunts and uncles at the and Silene, Monica, and even Ricardo, as well as some of his cousins, joined them at the table.

Sergio and Raquel joined in as a lively conversation and it's almost as if Raquel has been in the family for years.

Sergio might have given her an idea what his family might be like when they'd come up with a plan for tonight but there was something incredibly natural about her presence at the table. It's almost as if she belonged there.

///

When the conversation eventually slowed down, Sergio excused both Raquel and himself from the table, telling his family that he hasn't had the opportunity to dance with Raquel for the evening. Sergio wasn't particularly fond of dancing per se, but he's sure that he's spent enough time at the table with Raquel for his family to know her up to the level that they're both comfortable with at the current level of their relationship so it was time to go. His family sent them off but not without telling the two of them that they hope to see Raquel again soon.

With her hand on the small of her back, Sergio led Raquel to the dance area outside. Despite his lack of confidence in his dancing ability, he can't deny that he's looking forward to having Raquel close.

When they're at the dance floor which mas more than out of earshot of his aunt's table, Sergio allowed himself a deep sigh out of relief.

Raquel bit back a laugh at Sergio's reaction. "That went pretty well, don't you think?"

"They absolutely love you, Raquel. I think that went as spectacular as first meetings can go." Sergio's lips curled into a grin that mirrored Raquel's.

"You think they'll finally stop setting you up on dates?" Raquel whispered in his ear.

"Maybe. You're quite a convincing argument that I'll be fine on my own."

Raquel stepped closer and Sergio swallowed as the distance between them became almost non-existent. Sergio watched the joyful expression on her face turn into something more playful.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you told your family that you still owe me a dance."

"_I did._" Sergio circled his arms around Raquel's waist. "I am a little out of practice so I already apologize in advance."

///

The DJ played both lively, faster songs and slower, more romantic tunes.

The crowd on the dance floor changed every time, as the more upbeat songs attracted the younger guests to dance with their partners or in small groups and the slow songs attracted more mature guests to dance with their partners.

Regardless of the song, Sergio and Raquel stayed.

They allowed themselves to have fun with the lively, energetic beats. Raquel would even sing along to the song if she knew the words. They got carried away by the melody a few times, indulging in dance steps that might just be too silly at their age, but they simply laugh it off while they both blush in embarrassment.

The mood changed immediately as the first few notes of a slow song started. Raquel had her hands around Sergio's neck and his hands were on her hips.

The first slow song was followed by two more, and as the songs played in the background, they both guilty of stealing a kiss or two. (_or three._)

///

"Mind if I borrow your dance partner for a minute?"

Sergio and Raquel were interrupted by Andres's who emerged from the small crowd occupied the dance floor, just as the DJ started to play the more upbeat songs for the guests to dance to.

"_No._" Without taking his hands away from Raquel's waist, he stepped further back and Raquel followed, putting some distance between them and his brother. Andres soon followed and was standing right next to them again in a second.

"Come on. We won't take long."

Sergio shook his head. "_Nope_." He turned so that Raquel's back was facing Andres. Raquel leaned her head against his shoulder, smiling widely a the two's interaction.

It still amused her that Sergio's playful side always showed itself when his brother was around. They must've been quite an interesting pair when they were grow up. The stories their family members have shared with her tonight only proved her right so far.

"_Sergio..._" said Andres in a singsong voice, making Sergio groan.

"Leave us alone." Raquel laughed as Sergio tried to lead her to a different part of the dancefloor again. It was no use as Andres continued to follow them. "Why aren't you dancing with Agata anyway?"

"Silene whisked her away."

"If they're already getting along then you're going to be in big trouble," Sergio smirked at his brother.

"I'm _already_ in big trouble. They've known each other a long time, those two."

"_Really?_ How?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you another time but let me first dance with my future sister-in-law."

///

Raquel and Andres watched as the Sergio walked back to their table and the slump of his shoulders didn't go unnoticed by Raquel.

"May I have this dance?" Andres offered his hand to Raquel. "Just one song, I promise. I know my brother's going to be sulking in his seat."

Raquel nodded, tentatively placing her left hand on Andres's shoulder and putting her right on his open hand. She thanked the DJ in her mind. Raquel wasn't particularly ready to slow dance with Andres tonight.

"The two of you enjoying the festivities tonight?"

"We are and I guess Sergio wasn't kidding when he told me that the drinks at your wedding are pretty hard to beat."

Andres chuckled in response and Raquel decided to go straight to the point. "Is there a particular reason why you wanted to dance with me?"

"Just wanted to talk for a bit. You know that you're the first person he's brought home to meet the family?"

Raquel nodded and Andres continued. "It feels kind of surreal to me. It felt surreal when we had dinner last week too and I got a little too excited that I told a _few_ of members of the family that I've had the pleasure of meeting you already."

The way he had emphasized the word few told Raquel that he's done quite the opposite.

"Silene already clued us in that you had something to do about the family already knowing who I was."

"I was only going to tell Monica." Andres at least looked a little apologetic. "She's been especially curious about you since she found out that my brother was dating when she called him."

Raquel fought to keep her expression neutral at the mention of the phone call that had Sergio asking her to pretend to be his date in the first place.

"But I hope that the family's been treating you well tonight. I love them, but they can be a little overwhelming."

"They've been really nice tonight."

"Thank God," exclaimed Andres, feigning relief. "I was afraid we'd scare you off."

"I've been through much, _much_ worse and my mother isn't any better. You should've seen your brother when we had lunch."

Andres lit up as Raquel mentioned her mother and Sergio. "I suppose things are going well pretty well since Sergio met your family too."

"They are."

"I'm glad to know."

The background music takes over for a moment until Raquel hesitantly asked, "Andres, how did you know that the woman Sergio was going to bring as his date was me?"

"Remember when we met a few months ago? I found it ridiculous that the two of you weren't together then so I told my brother to ask you out on a date."

"There's still a chance that he never got around to ask me. He might have met another woman and asked her out to be his date for tonight," Raquel pointed out.

"But he didn't meet anyone else and he asked you out, didn't he? Besides, I just had a really strong gut feeling that it's going to be you. My brother could do anything he set his mind to. He just needs a push in the right direction sometimes."

///

Almost an hour after Raquel joined Sergio again at their table, they ran into Andres again just as they were about to get a refill of their cava. He's joined by Agata this time who's carrying her bouquet.

She wrapped Sergio and Raquel a hug as a greeting.

"Finally. I've been meaning to find the two of you the whole evening but it's just been a busy night."

"I wanted to give this to you." Agata positioned the bouquet in front of Raquel.

It took a few seconds for Raquel to find her voice. "_Me_? You want to give this to _me_?" Her eyes traveled from the bouquet to Sergio who's as dumbstruck as she was.

Agata nodded, chuckling. "I do if you'll have it."

"Agata, I'm honored. Are you sure..."

"I'm _perfectly_ sure, Raquel." Agata chuckled again and moved her hand with the bouquet a little closer to Raquel.

"It's a little more of our gift you than just mine." She gestured towards Andres.

"Take it as a token of luck for the two of you," said Andres. "It's tradition but we don't want the two of you to be pressured or anything."

Raquel finally took the bouquet from Agata, holding it close to her chest. "_Thank you._"

///

After a few more hours filled with more refills of their cava and even more dancing, they decided to retire to Sergio's bedroom since they're in no condition to drive back to Madrid. They said their goodbyes before crossing the garden into the house.

Raquel's tightened her grip on Sergio's hand as they climbed the stairs. While she was definitely tipsy, her feet were making it well known to her that she's spent most of the night dancing with Sergio.

"Are you okay?" Sergio asked.

"I'm alright but my feet aren't."

"My room isn't very far," Sergio replied as they reached the top of the steps. "I can carry you if you want?" Raquel rolled her eyes at his teasing tone.

"It's not our wedding night." She shook her head with a laugh before she bent down to remove her shoes. "That's much better."

It was almost 3 AM when they got out of the shower and the scent of the shower gel mingled with the scent of the flowers for Agata's bouquet that they temporarily placed on Sergio's desk. They both had a change of clothes. Raquel borrowed on Sergio's shirt to sleep in and Sergio was in his pajama's

They're leaning against the headboard waiting for their damp hair to dry. Sergio's arms were around Raquel's shoulders and Raquel rested her head against her shoulder and had one arm around his torso.

"I can't believe it's over." Sergio felt a wave of exhaustion roll over his body.

"Me too."

"Did you have fun?"

"I did. It was a lovely wedding and I can't believe they pulled it off with only three months to prepare. I enjoyed dancing with you even if my feet are killing me now. And... meeting your family was nice."

"I feel like they really love you, Raquel. I hope they didn't weren't too much for you tonight but I know they can be a lot sometimes. I should also apologize for Silene. I swear she's a special case."

Raquel snuggled closer to Sergio. "I think everyone's family is a little too much."

Silence took over the room for a moment and Raquel's breathing had started to slow down.

"You know what, I need two hands to count my brother's marriages now." Sergio mused. His eyes started to blur with sleep.

"Let's hope you won't need both to count his divorces."

Sergio laughed at her sleepy reply before a kiss on the crown of her head.

**THE END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's the new year/decade treating you everyone so far? As always, I appreciate everyone who supported this fic in one way or another ♥️ See you next chapter for the epilogue!


	10. Epilogue: The New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into what the new normal is for Sergio and Raquel, months after the wedding.

* * *

"So... what are you wearing, _profesor?_"

Her flirtatious tone made Sergio choke on his juice, inciting a worried glance from the waitress who was passing by.

Sergio cleared his throat and he could hear Raquel laughing on the other end of the line.

"What... what did you just say?"

"I asked you about what you're wearing, _profesor._"

_What the hell._

Sergio felt his cheek burning up.

"Raquel, I hardly think it's appropriate to talk about my... _attire_ when I'm out for lunch."

Raquel groaned. "I'm bored and I miss you already."

"I miss you too. Eating here at Hanoi isn't the same without you. I take it that the conference is done for today?"

"Yeah. I'm already back to my hotel room."

"That's good to know, considering what you wanted to talk about earlier..."

He can't help but laugh along with her and sound of her laughter reminded him of how much he'd miss her. He found it almost ridiculous, she's been only gone for two days for a psychology conference hosted by the University of Lisbon.

"What if I call you later? Let's say... when you're already in bed? Do you think you'll be more open to the idea then?"

///

Raquel is back in Spain after two more days, and they decided to spend the night at Sergio's apartment.

The warm comfort of waking up next to someone is one of the many enjoyable things that they've come to enjoy with their new normal.

Like in other aspects of their lives, the bed is where they make adjustments for one another

Sergio's an early riser who wakes up with the sun while Raquel's a fan of slow mornings.

Despite her body clock telling her otherwise, Raquel would wake up at 5:30 when she feels him stir right next to him in some mornings. Losing two to three hours of sleep isn't too bad of a thing when she gets to kiss him in bed first thing in the morning and they share their first cup of coffee together. Sharing their morning shower is more than an enough reason to start her morning early too. But in the mornings she can't fight off her sleepiness, she pulls him back. With her eyes barely open, she could hear his soft laugh just as he returns to his side of the bed under the covers.

Sergio, on the other hand, still woke up at 5:30 sharp when they sleep together, but he makes it a point to place a kiss in her hair first thing in the morning. He adjusts the blanket on her sleeping frame to make sure she doesn't get cold for the rest of her sleep and he leaves the bed as quietly as he could so he won't disturb her any further. There's also hot cup of coffee waiting for her when she walks into his kitchen when she wakes at least two hours after him. However, there are times, especially on weekends, where he allowed himself 30 more minutes in bed just so he can hold her close while she slept.  
  
  


///

"Look!" Sergio pointed at the egg he'd just cracked in the pan. Raquel left her seat at one of the stools of the kitchen island to see what got him all excited.

He smiled proudly as he pointed at the yolk of the egg. "I didn't break it. We're still on track to having sunny-side up eggs for breakfast."

It came as a surprise to Raquel that Sergio, all brilliant and skillful as as he was in so many things, was pretty useless in the kitchen.

Sergio he knows a bit of the basics. He _can _make pasta if there's ready-made sauce but other than knowing how to boil and maybe fry, he doesn't have any real kitchen skills.

Raquel has taken it upon herself to help him learn. While they're making quite a progress and she's loving every step of it. the fact that he still gets excited over the fact that they won't have to resort to scrambled eggs when they wanted sunny-side up eggs meant that there's still have a long way to go.

Raquel stood her toes give him a kiss on the cheek.

She resisted the urge to tell him how _cute _he looked, being all excited because of a fried egg, simply because she doesn't want the risk of having him all flustered that he'd burn the thing he's proud of.

Instead, she prepared the rest of their breakfast – buttered toast with jam – on the dining table. On the middle of the table were two paper cranes.

His was on the right and right next to it was one she made on the morning before she left for Lisbon. She made it as kind of a joke – she fished it out of the pocket of her jacket right before she went in the airport, telling him that she made it so he won't miss her too much.

The folds on hers wasn't as clean as his, but she's learning from him too.

///

What was Raquel's or Sergio's were becoming _theirs_ and it only became more evident with a gift from Agata.

One of the artists who had a showcase in her gallery had gifted her two impressionist oil paintings of Madrid at night. One found its way to Andres's apartment that the married couple now shared and the other found it's way to Sergio's.

Even before an image of the city became a part of the interior of Sergio's apartment, there's already two toothbrushes by the bathroom sink, a space in Sergio's closet that's been cleared, and Sergio would only put the book he read before bed on the nightstand on the left side of the bed... among the other clues that gave away the place wasn't exclusively lived in by one anymore.

The changes are more subtle in Raquel's house, since she still shared the space with her mother. Her bedroom showed signs that it was now shared – his suit jackets joined hers in the closet, the shaving cream and the razor in the bathroom, and there's almost always a book on financial markets on the coffee table in the living room.

Marivi was particularly fond of cooking for three nowadays too.

///

The new normal isn't just _theirs_, but their family and friends too to some extent. They wouldn't be here, or rather, it would've taken them much, much longer if it Andres and Agata's surprise marriage. It was also at their wedding that Sergio and Raquel's intersecting social circles have started to overlap.

Marivi adored Sergio so lunch or dinner at Raquel's house easily became a frequent arrangement. He's always welcome to stay the night after without too and most nights he did.

Raquel's presence on weekends in the house in Toledo became more frequent as the months went on too to the point that Cincinnati would sometimes reach for Raquel instead of his own uncle when he's with his mother or father when the two would welcome Sergio and Raquel at the door.

And when Cincinnati's birthday came around, there's a carefully wrapped box among all his presents which simply said 'From Uncle Sergio and Auntie Raquel' in Raquel's handwriting on the card.

///

As all things in life, their new normal is subject to changes, big and small.

It was on an evening in Sergio' s office that they've began to realize that the changes they've been going through for the past few months had already cracked the familiarity they've consciously and unconsciously built with one another and the cracks were already large enough to peer through what's on the other side.

But what is waiting for them next?

That night, when Sergio sat on one end of the couch in his office and Raquel's rested her legs on his lap, with their hands beibg warmed by the steaming cup of coffee they both have in their hands, the answer Raquel offered to the question is... another question.

"Have you ever thought about getting married?"

They were both tired. They'd spent the whole afternoon working on their respective lectures for the coming week.

"Sorry. I didn't quite catch what you just said." Sergio wasn't aware that he's been starming blankly at the wall behind his desk until Raquel's voice pulled him back to reality.

Raquel breaths out of her nose. A part of her regrets to have asked, but there's no point of turning back after the words have already left her mouth.

Sergio watched as an uneasy expression passed through her face.

"I asked if you thought about getting married."

Sergio swallowed.

"I have."

His answer doesn't take her by surprise, but it doesn't stop Raquel's heart from hammering against her ribcage.

"_I have too."_

Sergio nodded slowly. A small smile appeared on his lips as his mind had started to wrap itself around what had just happened and the smile just frew larger as he looked at Raquel from the rim of his coffee cup before he took a sip.

Raquel removed her legs from their position on his laps so she could scoot over to his side of the couch.

Sergio set his cup down on the coffee table in front of him to wrap an arm around Raquel.

"What should we do now?" He asked.

"_Hmmm... W_e haven't talk about if before, but now... I think that it's something we could start discussing."

"I like that."

///

They're in two very different planes when it comes to marriage.

Raquel has gone through the whole ordeal, including her divorce, and despite the ever-lingering pressure from his family to marry, Sergio never considered marriage for himself.

Both consciously and uncounsciously, they put themselves through their paces to meet each other halfway.

///

It was before his brother's first wedding that Sergio saw his mother's jewelry box.

Andres had called him up to his bedroom the night before his wedding and showed him a small ornate wooden chest.

"I never showed you this before, but mamá entrusted this to me before she passed away."

Sergio sat next to Andres on his bed while he waited for his brother to open the chest with the tiny key he had in his hand. He's intrigued to say at least. Their mother passed when Sergio had only turned 5 and he couldn't think about what his brother waited years for to show him.

Andres placed the chest on his lap then opened it, revealing the velvet interior and the jewelry that was stored inside.

"She told me that what was in this box was for us to give."

Andres picked up a pair of pearl earrings and placed it on his palm.

"I want to give these to Tatiana as a wedding gift. Is that okay?"

Sergio nodded.

"Thank you. Can you hold this for a moment?"

Andres handed Sergio the box so he could put the earrings in a velvet pouch he pulled out from the pocket of his pants. Sergio's eyes scanned the contents of the jewelry box. He doesn't remember his mother wearing a particular piece but knowing they once was hers was enough to bring back a hew happy memories Sergio had of her.

"It's better if you'd have all of it. Tatiana would love these. They're beautiful and I think she'd really appreciate."

"Mamá specifically told me that we share this box, Sergio."

Sergio wanted to tell him that their mother's jewelry had a much better chance of seeing the light of day if he'd just had everything, but decided against it.

His eyes landed on the a thin gold band with a single princess cut diamond.

Sergio pointed at the ring and asked his brother, "Why didn't you just propose with that?"

"It wasn't the ring I had in mind."

Sergio thought back to the ring that he'd seen on Tatiana's finger and laughed.

"Yeah. The diamond's a little small on this one, right?"

Andres smiled. "Maybe. It's all yours if you want. You can keep the rest of box now too. I'll just call you if I ever ran out of I ran out of gift ideas or if I get in trouble."

Sergio flushed. "You should hold on to it a little longer."

"Alright. If that's what you want," Andres replied and Andres returned it to the bottommost drawer in his closet and locket it there.

Across the years and his brother's marriages, he has seen the jewelry box quite a few times since Andres made it a point to have Sergio with him whenever he took something about of the box. He was also there when Andres returned a piece or two but those instances were much more rare. Perhaps, losing a few family heirlooms were one of the many consequence his brother had faced all through his five divorces.

Sergio doesn't think much of the box, but when it came to his mind a week after he and Raquel first started having The Talk, his first instinct was to call Andres.

_"Sergio! What can I do for you?_

_"Are you coming to the house tomorrow? I was thinking about having a look at mamá's jewelry box."_  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That officially ends The Wedding Date!
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who's supported this fic. I don't think that I'd ever finish this one without you.
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this. It was definitely a challenge since it's my first time writing a multi-chapter fic. I hope that everyone had fun reading this. Until next time ♥️


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